The Last Starfighter: Family Obligations
by Kalenath Shok-Tan
Summary: The Last Starfighter was a significant piece of my childhood. I had a good friend who swore off of arcade games because of that movie. I am hoping and praying they do not decide to reboot THIS as they have so many other good movies. The story ended well, but with a few loose ends. This is my attempt to tie up a few of those. I own none of the rights to The Last Starfighter
1. Chapter 1

**The Best Defense**

"Evade!"

The call came even as multiple hostile craft converged on the location of the sole remaining defender. The battle had not gone well from the very beginning. Despite their brutal reputation, the Ko-Dan were savvy opponents who lived to fight. They were _not_ stupid. Problem was... _lots_ of other beings assumed they were and that always cost lives. Lives that were _hard_ to replace. Starfighters did _not_ grow on trees.

Coherent energy flashed through where the ship had just been and Legion Commander Alex Rogan let out a deep breath even as he spun his chair and started picking off enemies with the skill of long practice. It was a matter of seconds for the veteran starfighter to pick off the missiles that had been fired at his ship and then start taking out enemy ships. But they were not closing!

"Not _again_." Rogan cursed softly under his breath as he saw the Ko-Dan englobement formation. He did not stop firing, his shots clean and precise as only a Starfighter could be. The bastards _really_ didn't want him slipping the net this time. Each ship of the sixty or so that remained were closing at an equal speed and he could see another globe of ships forming behind it. There _would_ be a third, the Ko-Dan always did it that way. No matter how well the navigator-monitor danced the ship, sooner or later, the area in which it _could_ dance would shrink enough allow an enemy to land a killing shot. Especially now with the deflector plating so diminished. He had a counter for that. However... "Grig! Status on Death Blossum?"

"Still off line since we used it the first time." The Navigator-Monitor growled. The scaled being was still his partner despite repeated attempts by bureaucrats to get him reassigned. Grig had stubbornly remained Alex's partner throughout the conflict they had seen erupt back when Alex was still just a kid from a trailer park even though he should have gone home cycles ago. "Six more time parts to recharge and let the emitters cool."

"We don't _have_ six time parts." Alex said with a growl of his own. This war had been brutal in the almost thirty Earth years ever since the renegade Rylan Xur had taught the Ko-Dan how to breach the Frontier, the ancient energy barrier that had protected the civilized Star League from the barbarians. "Did Kirlos get clear?"

They had started this battle with three gunstars. Alex and Grig were in command. The other two had been operated by Kirlos and V'Tris as well as the newbies Los and Treik. All three had been equipped with the newest and best gunstars available. The plan had been simple, find the Ko-Dan base of operations in this area and eliminate it. The rest of the Legion was still defending Rylos and the other planets of the league so three Starfighters had been all that could be sent. It should have been enough. It hadn't been.

This wasn't a Ko-Dan forward operations base. It wasn't a Command Ship acting as a haven for raiders or scouting the Legion's defenses in depth. No. The sole habitable planet that shone on the scopes was overrun with Ko-Dan signals of all types. the barbarians had conquered the world and turned it into a _massive_ base. _Many_ shipbuilding facilities of various sizes orbited the planet that had once been known for its stunning ice sculptures. Alex had a moment to hope that some of the residents survived, but if so, their lives would probably be painful and short as slaves to the Ko-Dan. He had seen the residue of Ko-Dan raids all too often in this war. He dreaded what he might see on a world that was conquered.

Alex's first experience in what was now being called the Second Starfighter War had been brutal as hell, but it hadn't prepared him for the reality of long sustained conflict. He didn't think _anything_ could have. Maybe if he had talked to veterans or something, but there hadn't been many in Starlite, Starbrite trailer park where he had grown up and those few hadn't been social sorts.

"Kirlos made it to supralight." Grig broke into Alex' reverie.

The Starfighter noted he had been firing steadily even as he had been thinking. Starfighters were trained to fire steadily, so as to let their laser weapons recharge. Not that the gunstar primary weapons _were_ laser based, but Alex stubbornly called them that since that was the terminology he had learned first and no matter the personage who tried to get him to change, he resisted. It was what he did. Well, that and kill stuff. He fired the heavy weapon mounted under his chair and _two_ enemy ships disintegrated as the insanely powerful energy beam tore right through them. The survivors closed ranks and continued their slow but inexorable approach. He estimated two time parts until the mass of enemies closest to them reached firing range. Then it was all over.

"Good." Alex muttered. "Some good will come of this no matter what else." He kept firing.

"Los and Triek were not your fault, Alex." As always, the green scaled alien saw deep into the human heart that Alex carefully hid from the universe. "They knew the risks."

"I know." Alex did not stop firing, but part of his mind smiled at the twin pair that had come highly recommended. "Still hurts."

Most Starfighters came to the Legion after problems of some kind. The Star League had been peaceful for so long that violence of almost any kind was anathema to many of its inhabitants. Alex suspected that the original Starfighter Legion had been part penal facility and part defense organization. His certainly was. He got recruits almost exclusively from _prisons_. The good news was that the League had a lot of experience in dealing with violent people of any kind. The _bad_ news was that it was Alex's job to _keep_ them violent and aim them at the enemy instead of their allies. Alex was unique in that regard. He wasn't a violent person by nature. If he _had_ been, old Jack Blake would have had a _much_ harder time bullying him. No, Alex was an anomaly to many of the League scientists. They knew he could fight and did quite well. But he didn't _enjoy_ it except in savoring the victory and his survival.

Los and Triek had been the same way. Neither of the siblings had criminal tendencies. Neither of them had possessed a dishonest bone in their soft jelly-like bodies. They were not docile, no. They hadn't caved in to any of the dominant personalities that had emerged in the Legion. They had simply ignored the attempted hazing and bullying and eventually, the bullies had quit to seek better targets. Alex had talked to them both and found them quite nice. That meant that seeing their gunstar reduced to a small pocket of incandescent gasses had hurt a lot.

The Legionnaires had flown right into an ambush. As soon as the trio of gunstars had reverted to realspace, they had been fighting for their lives. Some kind of defense ship had been close to the jump point and had taken the three under fire even as they had emerged. Alex and Kirlos had savaged it, but its fire had devastated Los' Gunstar. The final blast from the doomed ship had claimed the twins. There hadn't been time to mourn. There were multiple enemy squadrons closing so Alex had ordered Kirlos to flee with the report and activated Death Blossum to cover his Legion mate's withdrawal. As he had expected, as soona s the peculiar energy patterns had been seen by the enemies in the system, _all_ of the Ko-Dan had charged Gunstar One. They _really_ hated him.

That was fine. He hated them too.

Despite the best scientists and technicians in the League working overtime for cycles, Death Blossum wasn't something that anyone could duplicate. Either something Grig did and didn't remember or some odd change done by the techs of the doomed Starfighter Command that Alex had first been processed into and never got the chance to document, it didn't matter. The modifications that had been done to Gunstar One before Alex's insane solo charge at the Ko-Dan armada in defense of Rylos could not be duplicated. He wondered sometimes of that was intentional. After all, Gunstars had incredible firepower even without the incalculable spherical blasts that were the hallmark of Alex Rogan, Legion Flight Commander of the Starfighter Legion. Just the _thought_ of a Starfighter going rogue _had_ to keep League diplomats and others up at night from worry. But Alex knew better. Without the Legion protecting it, the Star League had no chance. Without the League supporting it, the _Legion_ had no chance. _Both_ needed the other and he worked hard to keep his people aware of that fact.

But there were moments...

He had to smile even as he fired his primaries again. Maggie had found a place for herself in the Legion. She had never been happy in the trailer park, but she had been afraid to leave. Leaving her Grandmother had been the single hardest thing his sweetheart had ever done and she hadn't handled the transition very well at first. Then again, neither had _he_. Suddenly, neither of them had to worry about money or food or housing. Both had access to _any_ information that they wished to learn. Add some free time and they had done what teenagers from time immemorial had done with free time. Neither had thought of contraceptives.

It had been a hell of a shock to _both_ of them when the League medics had refused Maggie's tearful insistence on an abortion. She hadn't really wanted one, she had just been scared and the League medics had known it. Alex had been too stunned by all of what had happened to have any comment except to support her in every way he could. It wasn't _his_ fault _or_ hers. It had been _both_ of them working at it, but neither had thought about that. There had been a few arguments after the discovery, but Alex's quiet support had meant the universe to Maggie. He would _never_ tell her that Grig had taken him aside and 'explained' a few things about being an adult to the wild teenager who was finally free. Except he wasn't. He had been working to rebuild the Legion and Maggie had been at loose ends. She had been bored, so... He had worked with many others to find her a job. She wasn't a Starfighter, thank god. But the Starfighters were only the very tip of the spear, the barely visible part of the iceberg that showed above water. The support network they relied upon was invaluable.

Maggie had found her niche in Supply. She had a desk and a staff. She worked tirelessly to make sure the Legion had enough tools and spare parts to maintain the gunstars, enough personnel to make use of those tools and spare parts and also she worked as a morale officer. The Legion had its share of prickly personalities. Kirlos in particular was a bitter, angry sort at almost all times. But when he stood in front of _Maggie_? The huge shaggy being seemed to wilt just from her presence. Alex was fairly sure it was a dominance thing. Maggie told Alex that females in Kirlos' species ruled and Maggie knew far more about the myriad races that made up the League than Alex did. He simply didn't have _time_ to learn all of it. Especially when the Ko-Dan came back.

The League had outdone itself. Far from the pitiful first defense which Alex had managed to pull off through surprise, sheer dumb luck and more than a bit of brashness, _twenty_ new gunstars had met the ferocious Ko-Dan meteor gun bombardment of Rylos. None of the hundred massive projectiles had even made it to Rylos orbit. The fighters that had swarmed in through the hole in the Frontier had been met with a wall of fire that had sent the few survivors fleeing. For a time, there had been hope that the Ko-Dan would retreat and give the League time to reinforce the Frontier, but Alex had forgotten another major player.

Xur was a renegade Rylan. A fanatic on par with almost any in human history, the being was a _nutcase_ of the first order. He might have given Adolph Hitler near the end of World War II on Earth a run for his money in sheer crazy. What was even _crazier_ was that people were _still_ following him! Alex understood about cults of personality., he worked hard to keep any from forming around _him_. There were never _many_ Xurians. But the damage they could do was incredible, especially when they got into League facilities who didn't understand anything about security. The Legion? Not so much. A few tried now and again to access Legion facilities, but Alex and others had instituted serious security measures even before the Ko-Dan had returned. Centauri himself had tried to access a Legion facilty and been caught in short order. Embarrassing for the shyster, but good to know that there was one secure group in the League. Other places? Sigh. Every time the League started to reinforce the Frontier, Xur sabotaged the work.

Xur was a known threat though and the _only_ good thing about him was that the Ko-Dan hated him almost as much as they hated Alex. It had been at Xur's direction that the first Ko-Dan force had attacked. It had been at his insistence that the force had disregarded defensive postures in the need to show Xur as a conqueror. It had been the failure of his assassins on Earth that had galvanized Alex to come back and fight. The solitary gunstar that had taken the Ko-Dan by surprise and to _everyone's_ amazement wiped them all out had been disregarded by Xur as a _pathetic bluff_.

To say the Ko-Dan Emperor was upset with Xur was a _monumental_ understatement.

So, it was essentially a three way conflict and had been for more than two Earth decades. The League and the Legion on one side with their technology and determination. The Ko-Dan on another with their numbers and experience at waging war. And Xur, the wild card. Always probing for weaknesses. Always seeking to hurt either side as he could. Sooner or later, the Legion or the Ko-Dan would find and squish him like the bug he was, but until then, he would remain aggravating. The Ko-Dan could pick and choose their targets almost at will, but the Legion had strong defenses around every core League world now.

Right now, though... Alex had a problem. His ship was rapidly running out of places to evade the fire that was coming in.

"Grig." Alex said softly even as he fired another salvo and another Ko-Dan fighter evaporated.

"I know." Grig sounded calm, but then again, he always did. "Death Blossum won't be charged in time. If we fire at half charge or not fully cooled..."

"Boom." Alex winced hard enough that he actually missed a shot. He sent a follow up shot and the Ko-Dan deck fighter he had been aiming at disappeared from his screen. Only once had anyone tried to duplicate the Death Blossom systems on another ship. Legion security had been incredibly tight, even for them and no one outside the Legion would ever know what the drone that had been destroyed so spectacularly at the Frontier had been trying. Using Death Blossum without a full charge to discharge or without time for the emitters to cool was a death sentence. Then again... "Wouldn't take any with us, would we?"

"No." Grig snarled as the gunstar rocked from a hit. He evaded without orders and Alex took out the enemy ship that had hit them along with two others for good measure.

"I am sorry I kept you in this, Grig." Alex said softly as he continued to fire. "You should have gone home cycles ago."

"My family understands. You know this." Grig said simply. Alex had to smile at that. When Maggie had delivered their daughter Sarah, Grig had all but demanded that Maggie and Alex come home with him. There, the pair of humans had met Grig's mate and all of his children. All six _thousand_ of them. Alex, Maggie and Sara had been honored guests for a week. That was the one time that Alex had asked Grig if he had wanted to go home. The green skinned form had just looked at him and Alex hadn't asked. But now... "Why didn't you go home to your family, Grig?" Alex demanded. "You had a future!"

"Alex..." Grig's voice was gentle even as the Ko-Dan closed in for the kill. "You, Maggie and Sarah are _part_ of my family." Alex froze, his hands stiff on the firing controls. "I pulled you into this. Centauri had a large part, but so did I."

"I..." Alex shook himself and continued firing, wiping out enemy after enemy. "What was it you said when we met? When I asked where the Starfighters were?" He felt a familiar goofy grin stretch his face. He hadn't smiled in so long.

"Battling evil in another dimension." Grig said softly. "And yes, we will join them. But maybe not today..." He mused as Alex stiffened.

"Grig?" Alex demanded. "When you say things like _that_ , my life gets _interesting_. _What_?"

"There is a jump point here." Grig said a bit dubiously. "I can't read the beams, but..."

" _Anywhere_ is better than _here_!" Alex agreed with a grin as he bent to his weapons with fervor. He stilled as a massive salvo of red exhaust missiles erupted from the surrounding Ko-Dan fighters. _Far_ too many to shoot down without Death Blossum. " _Grig_!"

Space warped even as the missiles reached the ship and...

Far way, a teenage girl woke up screaming.


	2. Chapter 2

**Power**

She woke up screaming, but managed to keep the sound from escaping her lips through sheer force of will.

Sarah Rogan sat up in her bed and took several gasping breaths, working hard to keep her pulse from hammering her heart right out of her chest. She cautiously opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief when her surroundings resolved into her single person dwelling. She loved her parents dearly, but she hadn't wanted to stay with them forever. Luckily, the Legion was never short of places that needed more personnel even if she was never going to be a Starfighter herself.

Not that she _wanted_ to be one.

There had been times in her life that Sarah had cursed being the daughter of 'The Last Starfighter' as the Star League press always liked to call her dad. That wasn't even _remotely_ true now, but truth never stopped a good story. To his credit in her eyes and the minds of many others, he had always demurred, saying the defense of Rylos had been a team effort. He had worked with Grig and a bunch of others who had died in the lost Starfighter Command to launch his attack. That was patently false. Everyone knew that if Alex Rogan hadn't done what he had, the League likely wouldn't exist now. She did love him, all of his foibles included. He had _infuriated_ her on any number of occasions, but he was a good dad. So why...?

She felt a touch of icy fear as she realized that something was missing. Something she couldn't quite define. It wasn't _gone_ , but it wasn't where it _had_ been either. She didn't know what it was. But it felt familiar.

"Dad?" Sarah said into the darkness of her room. She kicked herself as a chime sounded. Sure enough...

-Command not understood- The room AI replied in its soothing monotone. -Please clarify.-

"Disregard. Illumination." Sarah said firmly as she rose, checking the chrono automatically as the lights came up. She had time. The meeting was in thirty time parts. She never understood her Mom and Dad needing to use Earth measurements when the translation systems worked just fine. She had never really understood the need for her to learn English either. It wasn't likely she was ever going to meet another human. And ever of she _did_? She would have a translator. So...

Sarah gave herself a shake and strode to the cleanser. She had time, but not an infinite amount. She wanted to be clean and fresh when she faced her future.

Even if it wasn't the one she really wanted.

She was fast and efficient as always. She finished her cleaning and dressing in plenty of time. The door chimed just as she finished pulling her footwear on and she smiled as she made it to the door before the chime could sound a second time. But when it opened, it wasn't her co-worker Oprisa standing there ready to travel with her to work. No. Her _mother_ stood there with two _Starfighters in full uniform_!

"Mother?" Sarah kicked herself even as Maggie Rogan nodded to her. "Ah... Logistics Commander Rogan?" She asked formally. Why were her mother's eyes red? Sarah suddenly felt small and alone as her mom looked at her.

" _Today_ , I am your mother." Maggie said softly. Sarah froze and then realization struck. The feeling of loss. She had talked to various people during her childhood who had 'known' where their family members were at all times. But they had also said that if a family member died, one could feel the loss. She didn't feel such. "Your dad..."

"He is not dead." Sarah blurted out and clamped a hand over her mouth.

"We don't know. He didn't make it back. The Ko-Dan forces in system were overwhelming." Maggie said softly, taking a step forward as Sarah shook her head. "Sarah..."

"He is _not_ dead. He is just...gone." Sarah said softly. She did not resist as her mom laid arms around her. "I need to get to work."

"Ambassador Enduran himself has said that you have the day off." Maggie said softly. "Sarah, relax."

Sarah tried, but it was hard. Enduran himself? The ancient statesman was a legend among the League diplomats. Everyone knew that the old fart simply refused to retire while the being who had once been his son was still free and causing trouble. Not that anyone would dare to connect Enduran with Xur now. The two may have shared biology, but they shared nothing else. Where Xur was a megalomaniac, Enduran worked hard to promote peace and understanding even when many of the league worlds didn't share the same concepts of peace or understanding. It was no surprise that Xur had tried to kill the one who had fathered him many, many times. After all, it had been Enduran who had worked tirelessly with Alex Rogan to rebuild the Legion and that had stopped the Ko-Dan -and Xur- in their tracks.

"Ambassador Enduran isn't my boss." Sarah said with a growl but she did hug her mother back.

"Lieutenant Juol said that you could take time." Maggie tried again as Sarah retreated a step. "Sarah..."

"I need to get to work. Mom? Please?" Sarah said softly. Maggie stared at her daughter and then slowly nodded.

"I do too." Maggie swallowed hard and then her face slowly blanked. The caring, empathic mother was replaced by the hard core Legion quartermaster. "I will be in meetings all day. If you need me,..."

"If need be, I will contact your secretary, Logistics Commander Rogan." Sarah said formally even as Maggie took a step back, turned on her heel and stalked way. The two Starfighers who had accompanied her glanced at Sarah, but then followed Maggie.

Oprisa stepped into view when the Starfighters had left, her mauve skinned face blank under her tentacle 'hair'. "Sarah?"

"I need to get to work." Sarah said weakly. "I... I need to talk to the lieutenant." Oprisa took her hand and Sara felt a wave of peace flow through her. Oprisa's species were wonderful empaths but that was not _all_ they were. "I didn't... say anything." She managed past the bliss.

"I know." Oprisa's voice was kind as she took Sarah's arm. "Sarah, first impressions are very important in such cases. Was it a dream?"

"No." Sarah said weakly. "He was there and afraid. Then he was gone. But... not. I... No. Too many ears here." She shook her head savagely. "Base. Now."

"Easy, Sarah." Oprisa said softly, guiding her towards the elevator.

Sarah did not see another form watching them from the shadows. Oprisa turned her head, tracking on the barely seen form even as he raised a hand with a blocky device in it. The Rylan gave a short screech before falling to the floor, clutching his head. The energy pistol he had been aiming clattered away. Sarah jerked back to awareness at that.

"No." Sarah begged even as Oprisa led her into the elevator. "My cover..."

"Shhh, Sarah." Oprisa said gently. "You are fine. He is a Xurian and he was after your mom, not you." Sarah tensed, but another wave of bliss swept through her. "He won't remember that and Security has been notified. Shhh." She repeated even as the elevator started down. "We have you, sister. It is all right."

"I never wanted this, Oprisa!" Sarah fought hard not to cry even as the bliss from the telepathic spy soothed her. "I just... wanted to serve. Not _this._ "

"We know." The gentle voice held many voices now and Sarah let them carry her even as Oprisa guided her towards her future.

* * *

About an Earth hour later

"How bad is it?" Maggie Rogan really hated her life at times. Knowing that her only daughter was in grave danger was bad. Knowing that there was nothing she could do about it? Worse. Far worse.

She stared out the one way mirror at the gel filled tub that Sarah was now being lowered into. Sarah wore an odd thin bodysuit that was somehow not revealing at all and a headdress that was studded with sensors. Specialized sensors with one purpose. To record her psychic powers. As far as anyone could discern, Maggie was the _only_ person who had ever discovered what this portion of the League base was for. Even Alex did not know that the League had, since its inception, employed a cadre of telepathic spies. The only reason Maggie knew and _remembered_ that she knew? Sarah.

Finding out that she had been pregnant had been bad. Finding out her child was _psychically gifted_? Worse. Luckily, the League had specialists for _everything,_ even when the League didn't have a clue this group existed. It had been interesting when Maggie had sought to discover _why_ she couldn't remember many facts about the 'special assistants' who had been assigned to her and Sarah after Sarah's birth. She had actually penetrated their security before they had known she was there, a feat no one wanted duplicated. Ever.

"It is bad." Lieutenant Joul would have given many humans the creeps. Maggie just took his two section body with its eight legs in stride after so long in the League. "We knew she was talented, but not _this_." Maggie looked at him and the spider-like form shrugged two of his legs. "We knew she would be powerful when it emerged, but no one expected it so soon. We are not sure if it is post-cognition, precognition or distance viewing. They can be hard to tell apart."

"She knew what happened to her dad." Maggie said softly. "The room biomonitors all went off when she woke. She would have screamed if not for your training."

"You have raised a _strong_ daughter, Maggie Rogan." The Lieutenant said kindly. Empathy was one of his most powerful weapons, a wonderful tool for a spy. "She says he is not dead."

"I cannot go to the Legion _or_ the League with the word of an half trained psi, Lieutenant." Maggie said with sigh. "They are _both_ pushing to contact Earth again. They know Earth has more people capable of fighting. Especially now that the Ko-Dan have taken a _world_."

"That is not good." The spider had a frown in his voice that he could not show. "Earth is even more on the brink now than it was when you were last there." He froze as Maggie did. "Apologies, Commander. I did not mean to remind you. May I soothe you?" Maggie nodded and the spider touched her arm with one clawed foot. She relaxed. "I apologize again."

"Grief is a natural part of life." Maggie took several deep breaths, savoring the feeling of bliss that had pervaded her only for a moment after the pain had surged. She fought them back down. Being so sorrowful around a psi hurt them as badly as it hurt her. Maybe worse. "Granny was old. She had a good life and died at peace surrounded by her friends."

"But you still miss her." The Lieutenant said sagely. "That is right and proper. Our families mold us into the beings we become, for good or ill. When we lose them, it hurts, but we go on."

"We go on." Maggie took on final deep cleansing breath and nodded to the mirror where Sarah was sleeping fitfully, the psis around her working to soothe her rest. "Is her cover intact?"

"It is." The Lieutenant replied. "Agent Oprisa was quick to react to the assailant and the interrogation is proceeding as we speak. We are already certain that you were the intended target and she was simply a target of opportunity. They believe she is an analyst working for the League on a classified project."

"That was all she was supposed to be." Maggie said weakly. "This is for the best. I knew it, intellectually before. I know it now. But I just lost my daughter."

"That is not true." The Lieutenant said sharply. "She is _still_ your daughter."

"Lieutenant, outside of these walls, I can _never_ acknowledge what just happened." Maggie said with a frown. "Your agency does _not_ exist. Your people are mid level bureaucrats who _delight_ in losing paperwork."

"One of the few joys of our job." The wicked tone from the spider had Maggie grinning. She scowled.

"You are a _bad_ spider, Lieutenant Joul." Maggie couldn't keep the scowl on her face as the spider tried to make a 'who me?' gesture. It looked wrong with four legs. "What can I do to help?"

"She did not know that you knew about us or her power." Joul replied.

"It may be for the best for her not to know." Maggie said softly. "With your training, I can keep from blurting it accidentally in her presence." The _reason_ Maggie had been able to get in? She too was a psi. Not very powerful, but the wards that kept normal people out hadn't even slowed her down. Joul looked at her and Maggie flushed. "I am thinking of the Legion and the League."

"With all due respect, Logistics Commander Rogan..." Joul with firm now. "Don't do that." Maggie stiffened and his tiny head spun to glare at her with all of his eyes. "She is and always will be your daughter. Do not shut her out. She will need you. No matter her powers, your people do not have an established tradition of them. She is smart, capable and strong. But there _are_ limits. We can and will help, but she needs you now."

"I..." Maggie felt her eyes start to burn and she fought to control her emotions. "Lieutenant, I can't..."

" _You_ need time too." The spider's tone was kind again. "Time you will not give yourself." Soothing energy was pouring off of him and Maggie felt hands on her arms even as she struggled half heartedly. "Calm, sister Maggie Rogan. Your daughter needs you and _you_ need _her_. Your meetings are covered. Your appointments are handled."

"But..." Maggie felt the hands easing her into a sitting position, other starting to massage taut muscles. "The Legion... The League... Earth..."

"They will all be there tomorrow." Joul's voice came from far away. "For tonight? Rest."

The darkness that pulled her in was singing.

* * *

Oprisa smiled sadly as Maggie was laid out on a bed, her normal stern face relaxing in sleep. The powerful psi released her hold and the human slept on. Two psis moved to lie beside her. Their dreams would soothe hers and let her wake well rested. She would need it.

 _Oprisa?_ Joul's mental voice was not happy at all even as his webbing started to coat Maggie's scalp. It would help shield her dreaming thoughts from the others. _Status?_

 _The Xurian was sent to kill_ **Sarah** _._ The tentacles on her head were waving with her distress. _Not because of us, but to hurt Maggie._ No honorifics here between telepaths. _We need to find that cell and obliterate it._ Oprisa wasn't normally a violent being, but the Xurians always brought out the worst in her.

 _We need to find Xur and obliterate_ **him.** Joul wasn't much better when his family -the telepaths- were threatened. Maggie and Sarah were part of his family even if few outside of them would ever know it. _We also need to focus on seeing of Sarah is right. If her dad is alive, then the Ko-Dan and everyone will be hunting him._

 _Agreed._ Oprisa paused. Something in his mind voice... _What?_ She demanded. Joul did not respond and Oprisa turned to glare at the spider.

 _Maggie and Sarah will both need time to adjust._ Joul said slowly. _They will need time, calm and ease. We must give them that time, but Maggie is right. The League and Legion are pressing to open relations with Earth, even as unstable as it is. Maggie could stop them, but as hurt as she is now?_

 _It will hurt her worse._ Oprisa liked Maggie and Sarah Rogan. That wasn't necessarily a good thing. _She needs... oh no._ She snapped as realization dawn. _That is_ **not** _happening!_

 _She needs a vacation._ Joul sounded smug now. _We have all said it repeatedly._

 _You really want her to_ **hurt** _you again, don't you?_

The telepaths did not share the League's pacifism and a good thing too. When Maggie had breached their sanctum and been discovered, eventually cornered, she had fought like a mad woman, both physically and mentally. The _only_ thing that had stopped her fighting was the eventual realization that they were _helping_ the infant Sarah. Nothing else would have.

 _I want her to hurt herself_ **less** _._ Joul's tone was totally serious and quite worried. Oprisa slumped a bit, looking at Maggie's sleeping face. _She takes too much on herself. She is but one being, even as remarkable as she is._

 _I know._ Oprisa said softly in response. _But... Lieutenant. They haven't been to Earth since the funeral for Maggie's Grandmother. They don't know the place anymore._

 _I know._ Joul sighed mentally as he finished wrapping Maggie's head and sat down beside her to help soothe her. _She cannot stop the League_ **or** _the Legion from reaching out to the humans. I know this. You know this. So does she. But she has to_ **try** _. She knows what we do, from growing up there. They are not ready for us._ **We** _are not ready for_ **them** _._

 _No._ Oprisa agreed. Both psis stiffened as a sleep mind impinged on theirs. _What?_ **Sarah** _?_

 _We need... to show them... Family._ Sarah's mind was fading as the psis around her reacted to her waking, soothing her mind back into slumber. _If we can... I..._

Joul and Oprisa ran to Sarah's side even as she sank back into the tub, asleep again. They stared at the psis around her who were all in shock. Joul reached out with a claw to touch Sarah's forehead and recoiled as if burned.

 _That wasn't her._ Joul said sadly. _Poor girl_ **is** _a precog._

The ability to see the future was no gift. Indeed, it was one of the worst curses that the telepaths knew. To know what was coming with no way to change it? Few with that curse remained sane. Those few needed help for the rest of their lives.

 _Oh Sarah._ Oprisa was crying as she sat beside the girl's tub. She stared at Joul as one of the others came close, a hypo in hand. The drug would keep Sarah's visions at bay. For a time. It wouldn't last. _I..._

 _Oprisa, you are the only one of us who could go with them. You are the only one who could_ **possibly** _act human enough to fake the role. She will need you._ Joul was just as distraught as all the others. There was no way to hide their feelings from each other. Nor any need.

 _Maggie is_ **still** _going to hurt you._ Oprisa warned. **You** _may not remember how much it hurt when she broke two of your legs. I_ **do** _._ Joul shuddered and Oprisa shared it. That had been... unpleasant to feel.

Another 'blessing' for most telepaths was perfect memory. A boon for spies and a curse for people who might want to forget things. Joul's race could subdivide their memories, sequester them if they didn't want to remember them.

 _Oprisa, please?_ Joul wasn't quite begging. _If they do not take time to relax, I fear for them both. They cannot relax fully here._

 _And going to_ **Earth** _will help them_ **relax** _?_

 _Trust me._

The sheer absurdity of that had soft laughter spilling out all around the chamber.


	3. Chapter 3

**If you can't take a joke...**

Sarah woke up comfortable. But... She wasn't where she had expected to be. She cracked her eyes and went completely still at what met them.

The room was... Well, 'gaudy' was probably the best word. The walls were bright colors so far from anything she had seen in the Legion bases or other places in which she normally spent her time that for a moment, she simply could not process the dichotomy. She stared down at herself and hissed in shock as she saw she was wearing something that sort of passed for sleep wear. Sort of. It wasn't the sturdy garments that the Legion issued to its personnel nor the sensor studded materials that her other bosses prescribed for their trainees. No, this covered her for modesty purposes and _nothing_ else. A poke showed the material was flimsy in the extreme. A sudden movement would likely tear it and it looked expensive. Sarah stared at the garment and then around the room. It seemed mostly like a standard League sleeping chamber, if a gaudy one. A bed, a small cleaning facility showing through an open door, a chair and nothing else. Another door shone against the far wall. Probably an exit.

"What ... in the name of Geloca...?" Sarah said as she slid to the edge of the bed, only to freeze as the door to the room opened and Oprisa stepped in. She smiled at her mentor and friend, but her eyes were calculating as she saw that instead of a uniform, Oprisa wore a _gown!_ "Ah... Oprisa?"

"How do you feel, Sarah?" Oprisa moved to the chair and sat. "I need to know. Exactly. Status check."

Sara stiffened and then ran through a series of mental exercises she had been taught from an early age. Her body reacted as it should. Her mind... Everything came to a halt as she realized she couldn't feel Oprisa's mind! She stared at the other psi and then down at herself.

"Physical 100%." Sarah said quietly. "Mentally? I cannot feel you at all. How much blocker?"

The only way for a telepath not to feel another when they were in the same room was for a neural blocking agent to be introduced into one or the other. No League technology could stop telepathy, but over the centuries, the telepaths had discovered some substances that worked for that. Such were _very_ tightly guarded secrets.

"Three hundred units every five hundred time parts." Oprisa relaxed a little. Sarah's eyes widened at the huge dose and Oprisa nodded. "You had your emergence and it was a bad one."

"I know." Sarah said softly. "I... remember." Oprisa took her limp hand and held it as Sarah fought to control herself. Sarah took a deep breath and held it, letting half of it out before speaking. "I know I am not alone. I know you are here. But I am afraid."

"No one blames you for that, Sarah." Oprisa gave her hand a squeeze. "But we need you. Your mom needs you." Sarah stiffened.

"Mom." The human psi blanched. "Does she-?" She paused and shook her head. "What happened? You said the assassin was after her?"

"He was after _both_ of you." Oprisa's face was utterly blank now. She only did that when she was angry beyond belief. Sarah knew that sign from her apprenticeship. "He was too slow to get her, so he was going for you. He had an energy pistol and an implanted explosive. I disabled him before he could use either."

"Thank you." Sarah gave Oprisa's hand a squeeze. "So... What? You say Mom needs me?"

"You know we haven't told you everything, Sarah." Oprisa sounded unsure for a moment and Sarah just looked at her.

"Operational security." Sarah said, mystified. "I am not cleared for everything. Nor do I _want_ to be." Oprisa smiled at the human's dubious tone.

"You have been cleared into another compartment, Sarah." Oprisa was quiet, letting Sarah digest that. The human folded in her herself jerkily and then shook her head.

"It was bad then. My emergence." Not a question.

Almost all psis of the known races that made up the Star League were not born with all of their power. A good things too. Children were rarely capable of the control needed to use such power safely. Sarah was no different. She had shown signs of oddities from an early age and the unit had scooped her up. Without their help, she would have been driven mad by the thoughts and feelings seeping into her mind from everywhere around her. Then she had entered puberty and all _hell_ had broken loose within her. Physically and mentally.

Most living forms -sentient or no- had an adolescent period. A period in which bodies and minds grew into adulthood. All of the races that made up the League had something similar. Some, like Joul's race, had a very short tone, days. Others, it took longer. At times, Sarah had despaired of her own growth period ever ending. But now? It had. Psis often had a problem with that period, especially when it was ending. Sarah again was no different.

"It was bad." Oprisa squeezed her hand again. "There is no easy way to say this, so I will just say it. You are a precog, Sarah."

Sarah felt the bed fall out from under her at the other psi's soft words. Precog. A psi with the power of precognition. The ability to see the future. A very powerful ability, but one with dreadful costs as well.

"Oh god no." Sarah said weakly, her free hand coming up to her face. Then she snarled at her weakness and forced it back, raising her head to meet Oprisa's eyes. "Hence the heavy dose of psi blocker. Not to block the telepathy, but to give me time to adjust to the visions." Oprisa smiled at her and Sarah felt her world stabilize a bit.

"Well reasoned, Sarah." Her mentor gave her hand one final squeeze and released it. "If I had my way, you wouldn't have left the complex. You are hideously vulnerable with the blocker." Sarah thought about that for a moment and then hissed. "Yes, Sarah. I was overruled. You are needed. The League is sending a delegation to Earth. Their ship is the one we are on right now."

"Are they _insane_?" Sarah just sat, wide eyed. "Humans are violent. Dangerous to themselves _and_ others! They _delight_ in causing harm to others. In their own way, they are no better than the Ko-Dan."

"They are getting desperate." Oprisa replied evenly. "The Legion mounts a strong defense, no question. But it is _only_ a defense. With the Frontier down, even with the Legion, it is only a matter of time until the Ko-Dan find our weaknesses and start exploiting them. The Ko-Dan took the world of Zourtuni." Sarah looked puzzled and the other psi waved at her. "You won't know it. They made pretty ice sculptures and not much else."

"Sculptures?" Sarah asked, her mind suddenly far away. Oprisa reached out to tap her arm and Sarah jerked out of whatever had held her. "What?"

"Sarah..." Oprisa looked worried now. "What did you just see?"

"See?" Sarah froze as a memory surfaced. But... not one she knew. Or... Not one she had experienced _yet_. "Oh my god..." She hands flew to her mouth as she saw a gunstar made of ice! And not just _any_ gunstar! _Gunstar 1_! It was so detailed, she could see every facet, every dent and ding. Every... She could see _inside_ and- " _DAD!_ "

"Sarah! Calm!" Oprisa snapped as she reached out to inject the girl with something before taking the girl's hands in her own. Sarah felt warm lassitude seep through her. "Sarah! _Breathe_ with me." Sarah took a shuddering breath and then another. Her long studies worked to fight the bone gripping terror back into the recesses of her mind. She felt her body slow relax as the drug and Oprisa's calming presence helped her to regain her equilibrium. Oprisa smiled as Sara relaxed fully. "Good. Good. What did you see?"

"A gunstar made of ice. I saw Gunstar 1." Sarah kept her voice level with effort. "My father and Grig inside. But... it wasn't ice! He _looked at me_ , Oprisa! He was screaming. My name I think." She shuddered and Oprisa's grip tightened.

"Sequester the memory." Oprisa commanded. "It is a memory. Perhaps a fragment of vision despite the blocker. No more. A frightening one to be sure, but no more than that. We will report this. Investigate it. But for now? Calm, Sarah. You need to be calm."

Sarah began another series of calming exercises, working through her fear and working to sequester the memory deep in the depths of her mind. With Oprisa chanting softly in the background, she started the chant as well, easing herself through the ritual of practice that she had so many times before. But this time, it wasn't just practice. Finally, she looked up into her mentor's worried eyes and smiled a bit forlornly.

"And some people actually _want_ psi powers." Sarah quipped and Oprisa smiled at her. "Bunch of fricking _**nutcases**_ , the _lot_ of those."

"That they are." Oprisa gave Sarah's hands a final squeeze. "You good?"

"Yeah." Sarah blew out a deep breath and straightened. "That was bad, but I have it sequestered. I will be able to pull it up at need, hopefully without the same level of fear. Oprisa... I may be human, but... in this state, what use will I be in diplomatic negotiations?" Oprisa just looked at her and Sarah stared at her. "What?"

"Ah-" Whatever else the psi might have said was cut off as the door opened again. League doors could not slam. This one sure _tried_ as Maggie Rogan stalked in, her face _incandescent_. Her head was wrapped in familiar webbing, but other than that, she seemed fine.

"What. Is. The. Meaning. Of. This?" The Legion Logistics Commander snapped out each word as a bark even as Oprisa recoiled from Sarah and braced to attention. Sarah's eyes narrowed as she saw her mother in the same attire that she -Sarah- wore. "Agen- Lieutenant Oprisa! _What the hell is going on_?"

Sarah jerked again as her mother _corrected herself!_ How did her mom know Oprisa? Something wasn't adding up here. The teenage human slowly rose from the bed and stood, bracing to the best semblance of attention she could. She did not speak, she simply waited. Her mother's temper was famed through the Legion. She had literally sent beings crawling out of her office when they made her angry. She wasn't generally violent. She didn't _need to be_. A few times when Sarah was younger, she had _wished_ her mother had slapped her instead of a few of the scathing comments she had delivered instead. Admittedly, Sarah had generally _deserved_ those...

"You are both awake." Oprisa said quietly. "I can brief you now. Commander, please. It is for your sake and Sarah's. Not the League's. Not the Legion's. _Yours_."

"My _duty_ is to the League and the Legion." Maggie retorted as she reached up to touch the webbing that still encased her head. "First last and _only_!" She did relax a little. " _Where_ are we?"

"We are currently in the first class quarters aboard the liner 'Pride of Sesnet'." Oprisa replied. "You and Sarah have both been asleep for almost a full day/night cycle."

"A whole _cycle_..." Maggie blanched. "I had things to do! I had to stop the-" She broke off and hissed. "The 'Pride of Sesnet'? You _didn't!_ " Her ire was rising again.

"Commander." Oprisa said quietly. "Without your husband to help dissuade them, you couldn't stop the League's planned expedition this time." Maggie snarled something foul under her breath that Sarah was thankful she couldn't hear entirely. "Everyone knows how you feel, but you simply don't have the support. Enduran _himself_ doesn't." She said with a sigh. "With the Ko-Dan taking a _world_ , even if your husband _was_ here..." She broke off as Maggie wilted a little, a first in Sarah's experience.

"They wouldn't listen to him either." Maggie's voice was tiny and Sarah found herself moving before her mind caught up with her body. Sarah took her mother's hands in her own and pulled her to the bed where she helped her mother sit. "Sarah, I..."

"You have known about... my teachers for a long time." Sarah said quietly as she held her mother's hands. Maggie nodded. "But it was secret to protect me." She smiled forlornly. "Secret is out then."

"Partially." Oprisa said as Maggie hung her head. "She wanted to tell you. But you know, Sarah, it was safer for her and you."

"I know." Sarah let go of her mother's hands and pulled her into a hug. "Mom. I am all right. It was for the best, but now? We can talk openly."

"I am sorry, Sarah." Maggie said weakly. "This _had_ to come from my side of the family. Alex has no psi ability at all. Every scan shows no trace of the genetic twists that allow it. So... this is my fault."

"Mom." Sarah tried again. "Your _genetics_ are not your fault. Dad has his strengths, you have yours. I have mine. We live, mom. Even Dad is alive." Maggie looked up with red eyes to stare at her and Sarah nodded. "I don't know where he is or if he is going to be able to come back. But he _is_ alive."

Maggie reached out to hug Sarah back and then released her. She took a deep breath and then focused on Oprisa who hadn't moved.

"The Pride of Sesnet? _Really_?" Maggie asked quietly. "They couldn't do _any_ better?"

"He offered." Oprisa said with a small frown. "We are not entirely sure why, to tell the truth. We have... other assets in place, just in case."

"We cannot trust him." Maggie said with a frown. "You know this. He will have his own agenda. He always _does_."

"He is no Xurian or friend of the Ko-Dan." Oprisa replied calmly. Maggie thought about that for a moment and then shook her head. We checked the ship thoroughly. There are no surprises." Maggie looked at the alien psi and Oprisa sighed. "Yes, yes, I know."

"He comes anywhere near Sarah and I am hurting him." There were a few people that Maggie had _no_ scruples about hurting. The owner of the 'Pride of Sesnet' was one such. Sarah stared at the garments she and her mother wore. They made sense now. There wouldn't be anything _but_ skimpy gowns on that ship. The owner had specific tastes.

"If he does, I am _shooting_ him." Oprisa replied, her hand on a pocket that was slightly bulging. "On _that_ , we can agree."

"Why...?" Maggie started and then broke off with a groan. "They wanted me to come with them. To act as a liaison since I grew up on Earth. I told them 'No'. I was too busy. Agent... I can't help them the way they want."

"I know, Commander Rogan." Oprisa relaxed fully for the first time since Maggie had entered. "This was going to happen no matter how hard you fought it. It would have hurt you when you failed. This way? You blame _us_ , not yourself." Such a selfless act. Sarah felt tears threaten, she fought the emotion back. Just because _she_ couldn't feel the pain didn't mean _Oprisa_ couldn't.

"And you say _I_ take too much on?" Maggie asked quietly. "You take too much on yourselves. I can understand your reasoning. I can even agree. But... Agent. I had to _try_."

"You did." Oprisa said with small smile. Maggie stared at her. "And yes, you threw a hell of a tantrum when they overruled you. Kirlos was impressed." Maggie's eyes went wide and then narrowed.

"You _know_ how I feel about Beta units, Agent." Maggie said sternly.

Sarah winced. She remembered the story of how a Beta unit had impersonated her father on Earth after Alex had been 'recruited'. Well, it had _tried_. It hadn't been the artificial intelligence's fault that humans were seriously screwed up in a lot of ways. Barely civilized in some ways and smarter than they had any right to be in others. Sarah had grown up with simuloids around her, so she had no problems. Her dad had come to accept them. Her mom still did not like them, but for another reason.

"We know." Oprisa said firmly. "These _were_ given the choice." Maggie stared at the agent and then shook her head. "Yes, I know you feel that is slavery. That we program them to _accept_ their slavery. But not in this case."

"Why _not_?" Maggie demanded. "It is what the League _does_! They make those things and send them off to die -or worse!- and don't give a _damn_ that they have feelings!"

"Your opinion is known and _shared_ by many." Oprisa said quietly. "We knew how you would feel so we did not simply demand the services of any. We selected a group of six, gave them all of the information we had available and let _them_ make their choice. They all chose to help."

"I _cannot_ believe that!" Maggie snapped. "You _know_ I cannot believe that. The one that impersonated Alex threw himself away to stop Xur's bounty hunter from reporting that Alex wasn't on Earth. Just threw himself _away_! He didn't have any _choice_."

"Yes, it did." Oprisa said quietly. "And I can prove it. If you are up to it." Maggie glared at her and Oprisa heaved another sigh. She tapped her com. "They are awake. Come on in."

Sarah was not surprised at all when her mother went totally stiff as the door opened and _Maggie Rogan_ walked in dressed in full Legion formal dress uniform, complete with medals. Sarah _was_ surprised when _Sarah Rogan_ walked in right behind her mother, _also_ in full Legion uniform. Both stopped just inside the door as it closed and braced to attention.

"Commander Rogan." The one that looked like Maggie said formally. Not in her voice thank god! "Units Eighty-Seven and Forty-Three reporting."

"You... I..." Maggie swallowed hard as she stared from one to the other. She turned to glare at Oprisa. "What the hell?"

Oprisa did not speak. The duplicate of Sarah did.

"You need a vacation."


	4. Chapter 4

**Slaves to fashion**

"I..." Maggie seemed at a loss for words so Sarah stood up slowly and stepped towards the newly come pair.

"You took memory and body scans of us while we slept." She looked at Oprisa who nodded soberly. "What exactly are your orders?"

"Our orders are to take your places in the delegation." The copy of Sarah didn't have her voice either, thank goodness. It could, she was sure of that, but it wasn't using it to help Maggie keep herself together. "The Xurians and Ko-Dan will attempt to disrupt the mission." The copy looked at Maggie. "Your husband authorized our mission, Logistic Commander. We chose to accept it."

"You could be programmed to say that!" Maggie retorted.

"We could be." The copy of Sarah replied evenly. "We are not."

"I cannot believe that!" Maggie snapped. "Not after... not after what happened on Earth."

"Mom." Sarah said quietly as she examined her double from close up. "No one is denying your right to be emotional after what happened there. We need more information." Maggie stared at her daughter and then nodded.

"Your regard for our well being is well know, Logistics Commander Rogan." The double of Maggie said quietly. "But in the end, we are not alive. You grieve for something that would not wish you to. The Beta unit who you met on Earth would not wish you to be unhappy because if its actions."

"He told me to jump and I did." Maggie said in a monotone. "I expected him to. I didn't expect him to ride the vehicle into a collision and use his own form to start a chain reaction. I... I watched him _die._ " The sheer pain in her mother's voice had Sarah moving to her side. "I have seen others die, since but he was the first. He didn't need to!"

"Yes, he did." The double of Maggie said softly. "No terrestrial weapon or impact would have damaged the Zandozan's ship. He had to do that or your husband and perhaps the _League_ would have fallen. At the very least, the Ko-Dan would have been warned and the battle would have been much harder. Let go of your grief, Logistics Commander Maggie Rogan. He was destroyed doing what was needed."

"That doesn't make it right!" Maggie protested.

"No, it does not." Her double replied. "We, the Beta units, were created for a purpose. It may be difficult for you to understand, but _we_ understand that purpose and we accept it. We are not alive, Maggie Rogan. We do not think as you do. We do not feel as you do." The human face that was so like hers split in a small smile. "We honor you for wishing to aid us, but there is no need. In this? We wish to aid _you._ "

"How do I know you are not programmed to say that?" Maggie demanded.

"How do we know you are not programmed to deny us the purpose that we were intended for?" The other her asked quietly. Maggie stiffened and the other continued. "We are not humans suffering under prejudice, Maggie Rogan. We are created for a purpose. We can be replaced easily. You organics _cannot_. Perhaps that makes us slaves. Perhaps not. Is a soldier who is indoctrinated into service of the Legion a slave?"

"Depends on who you ask." Maggie said softly. "I..." She slumped and Sarah moved back to her side. "I do not like this."

"No one is asking you to." The copy of her replied. "All we ask is that you take the vacation you have earned many times over. Earth will be difficult enough. You do not wish to be part of the delegation and that is understood by all parties. You will be seen, we will make sure of that."

"I am no diplomat." Maggie heaved a deep sigh and relaxed. Sarah sat beside her. "All I am is a Legionnaire. It is all I have been for a long time."

"I think it would be best if your doubles didn't speak much at all." Oprisa said after a moment's silence. Everyone looked at her and the psi nodded. "Everyone knows you are not happy with this. Everyone knows your opinion of the owner of this ship."

"Everyone with any kind of auditory apparatus." Sarah muttered sotto voice. Maggie glared at her, but her heart wasn't in it.

"You may find this amusing." The copy of Maggie turned to the wall and keyed a control. A holoscreen lit up, showing a corridor. Maggie looked curious and Sarah knew her own face showed the same as a group of people appeared on the screen. Her double and Sarah's strode in the middle of a group in League diplomat attire.

"This ship was available, Commander." One of the Rylan diplomats -a female that Sarah sort of recognized- was saying. "The owner offered the services at cost."

The copy of Maggie on the screen said nothing, but her face was set. The copy of Sarah behind her looked worried. More than one of the others in the group shied away from the angry Legion commander.

Another form appeared on the screen. A very familiar one. Maggie and Sarah both watched as the copy of Maggie on the screen froze in midstep. The copy of Sarah laid a hand on the other's arm as the newly come from approached the party.

"Welcome aboard the Pride of Sesnet." The being was not human, but he aped the mannerisms very well. His trademark coat and hat were as scruffy as ever. "I am honored to serve the-" He broke off suddenly as the copy of Maggie strode out of the group to face him. "Ah... Hello Maggie."

The copy of Maggie didn't speak, she didn't telegraph any intentions. She simply struck. One moment, the alien being garbed as a human stood in front of her. The next, he was sitting the floor, rubbing his jaw. He moved it from side to side as he watched her slowly retract the fist she had hit him with.

"Feel better?" Centauri asked from the floor, still not daring to move.

"You are _still_ a lying, cheating piece of Salician worm dung." The copy of Maggie said into the utter silence in the hall. "If you talk to me again, I _will_ hurt you again. I have no idea why Alex insists on trusting you. I _won't_. Not after what you did."

"Mom, that was almost twelve Rylan years ago." The copy of Sara said softly from where she stood.

"He had no _right_ to take you in there. He knew he did not and he did it _anyway_." The copy of Maggie snapped. "He made his money. All it cost him was my _friendship_. Small _loss_ for one such as him."

"Maggie... I..." Centauri spoke and then gave a cry as her foot slammed into his gut.

"I will ride _third_ in a _gunstar_ before I ride on _anything_ _**you**_ own!" The copy of Maggie snapped, turning to go. "If _he_ is aboard, I am _not!_ " She glared at the copy of Sarah. "And neither are _you_."

"Ah, Logistics Commander..." The female diplomat looked ashen as the copy of Maggie glared her way. "What is the problem?"

"The problem?" The beta unit asked, to all appearances, dumbfounded. "This being is a lying, cheating piece of crap who will find a way to profit by this. It doesn't matter _what_ he has to do. If he has to use the trust of a small child to circumvent the security systems of a casino, he _will_ do it. He will find a way to profit and everyone else can go screw themselves. It is what he _does_. If you trust this being, you are a _dumbass_. I won't. Ever again. Certainly not with the life of my only child. _Never_ again."

Maggie and Sarah both whistled in awe as the diplomats on the screen shook from the rage that the copy of Maggie projected.

"Your child." The female diplomat asked, looking at the copy of Sarah who stared ahead into nothing. "I see."

"I doubt that." The copy of Maggie stalked off, the copy of Sarah following at a fast clip. One of the diplomats followed swiftly, trying to calm her, talk to her. She ignored him.

"What did you _do_ to her?" The female diplomat demanded. "I thought she was going to shoot you."

"I used her daughter to make some money. I have been trying to make it up to her for twelve years." The being who had once conned Alex Rogan into leaving Earth to join the fight against the Ko-Dan said as he stood up. "And as for shooting? She did once." He looked at the floor. "I deserved it."

The screen shut down as Sarah stared at her mom who did not react. She looked at Oprisa who nodded slightly.

"He is no longer aboard." The copy of Maggie said quietly. "The diplomats required your presence more than his." Was that a smile that was gracing the mechanical form's lips?

"I didn't think synthoids could fight." Maggie said slowly.

"We are not _supposed_ to fight." The copy of Maggie replied evenly. "But after reading your memories? That wasn't a fight and he deserved far worse for what he did to Sarah."

"Thank you." Maggie sighed and relaxed. "I cannot ever forgive what he did. I cannot forget it. That said, even gutter slime like Centauri is useful on occasion." She shook her head. "Never thought I would say that, but he has a positive _affinity_ for finding Starfighters."

"You really _shot_ him?" Sarah asked, her eyes wide. "I never heard this."

"I only winged him. And only security knew. Not even Alex knew that I did." Maggie said quietly only to grunt as Oprisa started to laugh quietly. "Hey! I only hit him in the arm."

"You nearly blew his arm _off_. If the weapon had been set to anything above minimum power, they would have been picking pieces of him out of the _carpet_." Oprisa was chuckling louder as Sarah stared at her mom with wider eyes. "Don't get on your mom's bad side, Sarah. She is _vicious_." The beta units were not moving, but both were smiling slightly.

"He came to the door with a _box of chocolates_ and a _bouquet of flowers_." Maggie said with a snap. "Then he had the _gall_ to ask about you, Sarah. What did he _think_ was going to happen? I am not from Texas, but we had just had a Xurian try to infiltrate." She shook her head. "I am not proud that I shot him, but I would do it again."

"Wow, Mom. You hold a grudge like nobody else I know." Sarah shook her head as she relaxed a little. "So, he is not aboard."

"He will have some kind of plan." Maggie said with a sigh, forcing herself to relax as well. "He always does."

"Even if he does, he will stay far away from this ship." Oprisa said firmly. "We have other personnel aboard to make sure he does. But you and Sarah will not remain aboard."

"Lieutenant..." Maggie started only to pause as Oprisa shook her head. "Agent." She heaved another sigh, a deeper one. "What?"

"We have made arrangements." Oprisa nodded to the two silent beta units. "You need to speak with your husband's family anyway. They didn't ask for any recognition. They wanted to stay anonymous. That won't work when the diplomats arrive."

"No, it won't." Maggie agreed. "I wish Jane and Louis had accepted our offer, but I don't blame them for wanting to stay."

"Offer?" Sarah asked, confused.

"When Granny died..." Maggie's voice held old pain now. "Alex and I went to the funeral."

"I remember." Sarah sat beside her mom and took one hand in her own.

That had not been fun at all. For anyone. Alex and Maggie hadn't been able to tell anyone where they lived or what they did for a living. Sarah had been the center of attention, but at seven years old, she had eaten such up. She hadn't understood why everyone was so sad, but she had tried to be on her best behavior. Then again, her best behavior at seven hadn't been very good.

"They didn't want any handouts. We haven't been in contact recently." Maggie said slowly. She looked at Oprisa. "You?"

"No." Oprisa replied. "The emergency com system was never used and the League's declaration of Earth being a protectorate meant we couldn't go in. _Officially_ anyway." She winked. Sarah and Maggie looked at one another and shared a groan.

"What do we know?" Maggie asked, her focus altering. She nodded to the two beta units. "I am not...comfortable with this. But... thank you."

"We serve the Legion." The two copies of Maggie and Sarah chorused and then left the room. Maggie stared after them and then at Oprisa who nodded.

"All six of the units we requested swore to the Legion, Maggie." The psi said gently. "They know how you feel. They admire you for it. But they do serve."

"I am really not comfortable with that, but I can accept that I will never be." Maggie admitted a bit sheepishly. "I have had to deal with others that make me uncomfortable." She shook her head. "So... Earth?"

"Earth is a mess." Oprisa said with a small frown. "Have you kept up at all with the League's surveillance reports?"

"Yes." Maggie stretched out slowly and carefully, not moving the hand that Sarah held. "Much of the world is in chaos. Religious extremists are attacking anywhere they can find prey. The United States still has the most powerful military, but their arrogance and willful ignorance blind them to any number of problems." Sarah looked at her and Maggie shrugged. "Yes, I grew up there. No, I am not stupid enough to think that just because they have a powerful military that they have any brains _controlling_ said military." Sarah grimaced, but then nodded. "What do you remember of it?"

"I remember the Starlite Starbrite sign. We were only there for two days." Sarah temporized as she searched her memories. "I never got the chance to read any news. Uncle Louis and Grandma Jane kept me occupied."

"Yeah, they did." Maggie grinned in fond memory. "Your dad and I were busy." Her face fell, but she did not elaborate.

"So, we visit Louis and Grandma Jane?" Sarah asked. "Are they still in the same place?"

"They are." Oprisa reassured her. "The plan right now is to send you in before the delegation arrives. They are still debating where to land."

"Anywhere but the US, China or Russia." Maggie's tone was dark now. "Any of those would just bury the whole thing, maybe literally, while they try to steal whatever they can to use for themselves."

"Maggie." Oprisa chided the human gently.

"Tell me I lie, Oprisa." Maggie retorted. "You know they would! It is what they do! They don't care about anything but their own power. They _can't._ " She slumped a bit."'I had hopes with the Obama administration, but he too had no chance to change anything. Too many people with too much invested in keeping things the way they are. Too much money involved. Thank god, I don't have to live there anymore."

"You have been keeping up." Oprisa said quietly as Sarah stared at her mom.

"I hoped." Maggie shook her head. "But once more, greed and apathy win the day. I won't even _start_ on the current presidential race." Oprisa opened her mouth and Maggie snarled at her. "Don't!"

"So...a vacation." Sarah said quickly to chance the subject. "Where?"

"Centauri has an office in Las Vegas, we stay far away from that." Maggie replied. "Anywhere else... I always wanted to travel. But I had hoped to do it with Alex."

"He is not dead, Mom." Sarah gave her mom's hand a squeeze. "You may still have the chance."

"The way this war is going?" Maggie grimaced. "And adding a whole bunch of unwashed humans into the mix? I am _not_ letting them swamp the Legion or try to take it over."

"No one expects you to." Oprisa replied evenly. "The League understands that you are loyal to the Legion, hence why they trust you. We cannot trust humans, any humans. Even Louis and Jane Rogan have their own agendas. Not necessarily bad ones, but they may not mesh with our own."

"This is getting too deep for me." Maggie plucked at her gown. "I assume you have other clothes for us?"

"Clothes, luggage, papers, all of that." Oprisa reassured her. "You have gone into the US before and the process hasn't changed _that_ much." Maggie just looked at her and Oprisa smiled. "I am going with you."

Sarah jerked but then subsided. If _anyone_ could hide who and what she was, the master spy and telepath could. She has taught Sarah a bit about disguises.

"I think my passport is out of date." Maggie said a little weakly. Oprisa just looked at her and Maggie snorted. "Who am I talking to?" She asked rhetorically.

"So... what?" Sarah asked. "We are just visiting family?"

"No." Oprisa heaved a sigh. "We are letting his family know that your husband is Missing in Action. _You_ are taking a vacation on doctor's orders due to stress. I am your nurse and minder."

"Okay." Maggie drawled the word out slowly and carefully. "I am assuming no uniforms." Oprisa shook her head. "I am not up on current Earth fashions." She looked at Sarah who threw up her free hand as if in warding. "Didn't think so."

"We have selected a set of clothing that is popular in the area around where the trailer park is situated." Oprisa replied, waving at a wall that opened to show a closet filled with garments. Maggie stared at the closest and then at Oprisa.

"I don't see any pants in there." Maggie said flatly. Sarah turned to look and indeed, no pants were visible.

"That is because there aren't any in there." Oprisa replied. Sarah froze as Maggie hissed. He mom had a number of foibles. An abiding _hatred_ of long flowing dresses was one of them.

"Oprisa..." Maggie warned.

"Maggie." Oprisa's tone was humorous. "That is _my_ closet! _I_ have to wear the gowns!"

Another closet opened beside the other one and that one held jeans, shirts and other wear that Maggie had always preferred when not in uniform. Sarah stared from Maggie to Oprisa and back. Maggie just snorted.

"Your sense of humor is going to get you in big trouble someday, Oprisa." Maggie gave Sarah's hand a squeeze and rose to look in the closet. Sarah just laughed.

"You think?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Smells**

It was far too easy.

Both Maggie and Sarah had been nervous at the beginning, but they had both relaxed a bit as the journey had neared its end. Then again, Centauri had built a living on getting into and out of places he wasn't supposed to, so it simply made sense that he have a way to get from the largest prize in his collection to Earth. It also made sense for that method to be rather less conspicuous than the third largest star liner in the Star League. Sarah was reasonably sure that the ill gotten gains she had helped him acquire when she was six had provided the beginning capital for his still growing interstellar businesses. She was also fairly sure that it would be a cold day in hell before her mother forgave him for using Sarah to trick the security systems in the casino into thinking they had been subverted by another guest, allowing Centauri to pocket several million credits worth of stakes in the ensuing fracas. No one had ever found the missing money, but everyone knew what had happened. He and Sarah were barred from any other casinos in the League for life, a small loss to Sarah.

Sarah hadn't understood why he wanted what he had or what she had done wrong. When it had _finally_ been explained to her, her own temper had flared. Luckily, she had been among the psis at the time and they were well used to handling children with their particular curse. She didn't hold a grudge though. Centauri was a con artist and thief. It was what he _was_. Blaming him for being true to his nature was like blaming the wind for blowing or the rain for falling. You could. It did little good. She had forgiven him for causing so much grief, it had helped her deal with her own temper. _Forgetting_ was another story. Even if she hadn't possessed the perfect memory of a telepath, she _wasn't_ going to ever let the being near any of _her_ money. Or turn her back on him if she could help it.

But, while Centauri was very _much_ persona non grata with Maggie _and_ Sarah Rogan, his employees did not share his obsession with wealth and his less than perfect scruples. They were quick and efficient. The shuttle that carried Maggie and Sara to Earth was faster than any civilian ship in the League had any right to be. Then again, in wartime, such things could be explained away as simple self preservation. Centauri _did_ value his hide. The ride was comfortable and fast, but that still left far too much time to think.

At least this craft looked like a private jet used by corporations or people with lots and lots of money. As such, most would look at it and then dismiss it as something mundane instead of the supralight capable personnel and cargo transport it actually was.

"Why are we landing in Canada again?" Maggie asked Oprisa who sat across from her. Sarah was focused on a meditation, but part of her awareness was on her surroundings, so she could hear just fine. "I don't like the idea of flying on an Earth vehicle."

"I don't like it either." Oprisa was a far cry from the tentacle haired, mauve faced being who Sarah had known from a very early age. Now? Her honest to goodness _hair_ was a dull brown and her face a human shade of coffee. "But you know that the League wants to keep the disruptions to a minimum, so the various agencies that track such will need evidence that you actually arrived and left before the delegation gets here. If you are seen in two places at the same time, it will make waves. So, we infiltrate instead of going directly. We know the US in particular has more advanced sensors now, some of them capable of detecting League drives. The last thing we need is for some overtestosteroned grunt with a gun to see us land and get jumpy. So, we do it covert."

"Gonna make waves no matter what." Maggie muttered darkly. "Did the delegates ever decide on a contact?"

"No." Oprisa frowned. "I _think_ they are leaning towards the English. The concept of 'kings' went away in the League a long time ago, but the idea of a constitutional monarchy comes closest to our style of government."

"Who would be the monarch?" Maggie asked, confused. "Enduran?"

"Sort of." Oprisa shrugged. "Not a perfect analogy, since we are not human. But any of our elder states-beings can act as a monarch if needed. Only for a short time, and they will be scrutinized very closely both during that time and after. But if a planetary government goes completely nuts, there is a recourse. They rarely use that power though. Most would take any other options than to intervene in such a blatant way." She snorted. "Even having the Legion do unscheduled maneuvers just outside the atmosphere."

"Wondered about that on occasion." Maggie replied with a smile that faltered. "That won't work with humans. They react to anything that might be a threat with violence."

"Not _all_ humans." Oprisa reminded Maggie gently. "Your fear is understandable, Maggie. But do not let it paralyze you. Not all humans are evil any more than all Rylans are good." She shook her head as a chime sounded. "We will be landing in a few minutes. Sarah."

"Let me be sure I have the story straight." Maggie said with a frown. "None of it is false. I have spent the last two decades living with my husband and raising our family in a classified location." Oprisa nodded. "I cannot talk about where or what we did." Oprisa nodded again. "Alex..." She swallowed hard as Sarah finished her meditation and gave herself a small shake. "Alex is missing, I am stressed and coming to visit his family."

"That is it." Oprisa nodded a third time. "And none of it is lies, so it is all for the good."

"But not the whole truth." Maggie retorted. "I mean, after all this time trying to get some of the seedier sorts to tell the truth in the Legion, not telling the whole truth sticks in my craw."

"And how would the average security guard react if we told him or her where we have been and what we have been doing?" Sarah asked reasonably as she stretched a little.

"The average security guard might laugh or bar you entry." Oprisa warned. " _Immigration_ security will likely arrest you."

"For what?" Maggie asked, confused. "If it is _true_..." She trailed off as Oprisa looked at her. "Ah..."

"If we were dealing with officers of the law, 'police' in your lexicon, it would not be a problem. Give them the facts, let them see the truth, no problem. Even if it is hard to believe or confusing, they have a duty to the truth if they are legitimate." Oprisa said with a heavy sigh. "Immigration agents are not police although they have certain powers of the police. Their mandate is not to protect lives or property. They are not there to protect and to serve. They are there to enforce immigration law and provide security. Period." Maggie made a face and Oprisa shrugged. "I don't like it either, but there are numerous examples in your world's history that are far worse."

"The League has had its share of such too." Sarah said as the transport rocked little. She looked at a viewscreen that mimicked a viewport and nodded. "On final approach now."

"I am not saying they are bad, mind you." Oprisa warned. "Most are trying to do their job the best they can. That said, their job means they see the worst of the worst, so they have to assume that _everyone_ is guilty." She made a face. "Not a great way to be, but maintaining security is important."

"I know about security." Maggie replied as she settled herself in her seat. "But what you are describing seems more like a police state's security that the United States'. How recent is your information?"

"A day." Oprisa said softly. Maggie stared at her and the psi shook her head. "You are not cleared."

"I know we have people on planet." Maggie said slowly. "That was never a secret. Centauri does too and we wanted to keep an eye on his workings." Oprisa did not reply and Maggie took the hint. "Ah well. We didn't bring any luggage, so we just have to get through Customs."

"Whatever you do, hold tight to your temper." Oprisa said quietly as a thump announced to all of them their arrival back onto the ground of the planet Maggie had been born on. "If anything happens, let me handle it."

Sarah dearly wanted to ask if Oprisa had been here before, but the veteran agent wouldn't answer. The girl barely remembered the trip here before. The sadness that her mom and dad had worked hard not to project had colored the whole trip. She didn't think Oprisa had been here with her, but frankly? She hadn't been paying enough attention. She had been both excited to meet other family and scared of a new place. But Grandma Jane and Uncle Lewis had been nice.

She did remember one thing though...

"We can't use nasal filters, can we?" Sarah asked. Oprisa shook her head as Maggie stared at her daughter. Then realization dawned and her mom groaned. Sarah nodded. "Yeah. I am not looking forward to this."

"I had forgotten the smell." Maggie admitted. "Oprisa, can we wear filter masts? Anything?" She wasn't -quite- begging.

"Maybe." The alien who looked all too human said after a moment. "I will check the news when we get in. If there are any epidemics, then yes. If not? Then no." Maggie stiffened and the other was quick to reassure her. "Don't worry, Maggie. The nanite innoculations you got upgraded last year are still current and good against any disease humans might get." She snorted "Most drugs and toxins too."

Sarah just shook her head,. She couldn't use the nanites. The microscopic machines didn't deal so well with psi powers. That said? She had learned quite a bit about how her body operated and how it could be repaired by will alone. She wasn't very practiced with such and hoped there wouldn't be a need for it, but if she had to, she could heal herself of almost any wound that didn't kill her outright. Another reason telepaths were feared, they were dang hard to kill. _Anyone_ who injected Oprisa with a poison or drug was in for a hell of a shock. Probably a _terminal_ one.

"This is so going to _suck_." Maggie groused.

* * *

An Earth hour later

It wasn't as bad as Sarah had envisioned. It was _worse_.

It truly seemed that half of the people in the terminal didn't know what the word 'bathing' meant. The other half seemed to have small children who simply would not stop screaming at the top of their lungs. She kept her mind clear through sheer force of will and focused on her mom as the three of them shuffled through the line towards a set of machines that looked nothing like any security system that Sarah knew. The uniformed personnel working the machines looked professional enough to Sarah, but she didn't dare open her mind here. Not in the-

She stiffened and slapped her hand on the back of her pants. Oprisa was there instantly, grabbing the hand of the young man who had tried to slip his hand into the pocket that was built into Sarah's pants. Sarah turned to look at the young man, a light skinned male of about 15 years age wearing an odd bulky jacket. He snarled at her.

"Leggo of my hand." The human said fiercely. There was something off about him. His eyes? No. Something else. His posture. He wasn't a pickpocket, no matter what he had tried.

"Might want to keep your hands to yourself." Oprisa said firmly as Sarah released her grip.

The agent did not for a moment, then she did. Sarah was sure the other had done something, but the boy did not speak again, did not react as Oprisa slowly laid his hand down at his side. Sarah looked at the agent and then at her mom, whose mouth was set in a form line. Neither spoke as they approached the end of the line for preclearance into the United States.

"Passport." A firm female voice sounded and Sarah pulled out her Canadian passport to hold with her boarding pass. It was totally legitimate even if it hadn't existed prior to the group's arrival on Earth. Sarah showed the passport and boarding pass to the woman in the blue uniform who nodded to her, then paused. "Was there a problem?" Sarah shook her head and the security guard shrugged, nodding towards a series of metal tables with rollers. "Step forward."

Sarah did as instructed, removing her shoes as the sign said to. The one small bag that she had went into a blue plastic bin. Her shoes and the contents of her pockets went into another. She stepped forward, ignoring the cold floor through her socks. She froze as the machine chimed. She stared at the machine and then down at herself.

"Step forward." Another guard, this one male, held some kind of sensor wand.

Sarah stepped to where the guard indicated, then stood as he motioned her to. He ran the wand over her and it buzzed twice, but he did not react. She looked at him and he shook his head.

"You are clean. Go on." The man nodded to the trays. She smiled and nodded in return.

Sarah pulled the trays with her belongings off the roller covered surface and carried them to the side where she slid her shoes on quickly. She was putting the contents of her pockets back where they belonged when an alarm sounded. She spun, and her eyes went huge as she saw the young man who had tried to pick her pocket standing in the middle of the machines. He was clutching his jacket convulsively even as two guards took his arms and led him to the side. No one said anything, but Sarah eyed Oprisa who ignored her scrutiny.

"Ma'am?" A firm voice sounded and Sarah turned to see another guard standing nearby. She finished placing her items in her pockets and nodded to the guard.

"Yes?" Sarah asked.

"We need to do a further search." The guard said quietly. He nodded to a door nearby. Sarah froze. She glanced around and Oprisa was striding towards her, Maggie a step behind. "Now, Ma'am."

"If it is all the same to you, Agent..." Oprisa's voice was calm and cool. "She and her mother are my responsibility. I do not wish us to be separated."

"You are?" The guard demanded, not quite angry.

"Genni Oprisa." The psi replied evenly. "My card." She held out a small paper thing to the agent who took it and froze, staring at it. Sarah couldn't read it from this angle, but from the look on the agent's face? She wasn't sure she _wanted_ to read it.

"You called it in." The agent said softly. Oprisa did not react. "Did you see it?" Oprisa did not respond, simply held out her hand for the card. "I need to speak to my supervisor."

"I believe your supervisor is supervising the events in the next room." Oprisa said flatly. The security agent winced and the psi shook her head. "Sure. We can go. But we stay together." This was not a 'suggestion'. Both Maggie and Sarah nodded.

"May I ask why you are here?" The agent was far more polite now.

"My protectee and her daughter need to visit her mother in law." Oprisa led the way to the door, the agent on her heels. Maggie and Sarah, after a mystified glance, followed. "That is the bare truth."

As soon as the door open, raised voices sounded form inside. A number of people glanced at them, but then went back to the line as they stepped through and the door closed behind them.

The room they stepped into was divided. Several security guard surrounded the young man who had tried to pickpocket Sarah on one side. On the other, a table sat with his jacket. Two very serious looking guards in different uniforms were examining it, carefully. A man in a suit stood by the door and looked to see the mismatched quartet enter. His face was professionally blank.

"Be careful with that." Oprisa warned the men at the table. "Not sure what it is. Nothing good since he tried to slip the timer for it into Sarah's pocket." Sarah went still. A _timer?_

"She is lying!" The young man snapped. "She is a lying heathen bitch! I have my rights!"

The man in the suit was eyeing Oprisa who returned the gaze calmly. He jerked his head and she strode to him even as the young man started shouting things in another language. It wasn't one that Sarah's translator was programmed with. She looked at her mom who shrugged. Oprisa and the man in the suit were speaking in low tones even as the guard surrounding the young man kept a wary watch on him. None of them were visibly armed, but all were ready.

One of the agents at the table had produced a knife from a set of multi-pliers and slit the jacket's lining open. As soon as he did, he gasped and stepped back.

"We need EOD!" The man snapped and everything in the room stopped.

The young man tried to bolt for the door. Silly that. He was surrounded by six agents. He didn't make two steps before he was slammed to the ground and in seconds was cuffed. He was screaming obscenities in three languages, two of which Sarah's translator did not know. One, it didn't _need_ to translate. _Rylan!_

 _A Xurian? Here? How the_ **hell** _...?_

"May I? It is almost certainly trapped." Oprisa asked the suit who nodded to her, eyes sharp.

The agent strode to the table rand examined the jacket. She shook her head and held out hand to the agent with the pocketknife. The agent stared at her and then at his supervisor who nodded. He handed her the knife carefully and she stepped to the table, eyes on the jacket. She slit the fabric easily two ways and slowly slid the blade into it. Everyone in the room tensed, but nothing happened. She was tense but fairly calm as she slowly peeled off layer after layer of fabric, finally exposing something that wasn't fabric. She let out a deep breath as she cut something that Sarah couldn't see.

"No traps, that god." Oprisa shook her head. "C-4. Small charge. Would make a mess of him and anyone really close. But _this_..." She pointed at something that Sarah couldn't see. "I don't know _what_ this is, but it cannot be good." She closed the knife and held it out to the agent. "Thank you. Detonator is disabled and I don't see any receivers. So no way to set it off from a distance."

"So... he is a terrorist." Sarah broke the stillness. "A suicide bomber."

"Yeah."


	6. Chapter 6

**Laws**

Sarah Rogan did not move. She bared breathed as the security guards roughly hauled the human who had tried to smuggle a bomb into her proximity was hauled away, still cursing in several languages. Her mom was right beside her and Oprisa stood nearby, but she felt very alone.

For so long, she had worked hard to control the powers that she had. She hadn't known what final form they would take, no psi did before the emergence period. She had assumed she would be an agent or an analyst or something. Not this. She felt her fear rise and worked to calm it even as Oprisa looked at her. Even with her powers blocked, Sarah could see her mentor's worry.

 _I am all right._ Sarah said in her mind. Even with her powers blocked, Oprisa knew her well enough that the other psi would read that. She jerked as a voice sounded nearby.

"Are you all right?" Sarah turned to see the security agent who wore a suit instead of a uniform looking at her. She nodded to the man. He looked at her and then at Oprisa who returned his gaze calmly. "When is your flight?"

"An hour and a half." Oprisa replied as she moved just a little. It was a calculated move, placing herself just to the side of Sarah and Maggie. It didn't block view, but it was clearly -at least to Sarah- a defensive gesture. "Have you checked the video?"

"How did you know?" A curt voice demanded from nearby. Everyone looked to where a man in uniform stood, eyeing the disassembled jacket with its deadly contents.

"I didn't." Oprisa was still calm, but Sarah could almost feel the other psi's tension ratchet up a notch. "I thought he was a pickpocket, but nothing was taken. That seemed odd. Hence why I alerted you people."

"So you just appear out of nowhere with two silent women, catch a terrorist and-" He broke off as the man in the suit coughed. "Sir?"

"You are not cleared for who she is." What was obviously the supervisor of these agents said quietly, but firmly.

"Sir, we have to know-" The man in uniform started again, only to freeze as the man glared at him.

"You are not _cleared_." The suited man said flatly. He paused as Oprisa held up a hand. "Agent?"

" _Agent?_ " A chorus of disbelief went around the room.

"I would prefer my designation not leave this room." Oprisa was very quiet, but her gaze speared the officer who was questioning her. "My job is to protect these two. No more. No less. The reason they have not spoken is that I told them not to. There are enough problems without miscommunication." Her tone was calm, her eyes and face flat. But the officer flushed anyway. "Your boss knows who I work for. You do not need to know and frankly? You do not want to know."

All of the customs agents in uniform looked at the man in the suit who nodded, his face grave.

"You gave Agent Conners your card." The supervisor said with a nod. "I spoke with him. He understands. He won't say anything."

"I knew something was wrong the moment I realized that man hadn't stolen anything. That he had tried to plant something. I didn't realize it was a timer at first. Not one I am familiar with, but the design is clear." Oprisa eyed the jacket with distaste. "I had no idea about this or I would have bundled my charges up and run like hell."

"And anyone who got in your way would have been flattened." Was that humor in the supervisor's voice? He shook his head. "Dang, my manners are slipping. Agent Rapriro." He held out a hand to Oprisa who took it. "Transport Security Administration."

"Nearly being blown up can have that effect. Genni Oprisa." The alien psi said smoothly. "I can say I am with the Foreign Office." At that, everyone in the room froze. She smiled a little as she retrieved her hand. "And before anyone asks? I can't _stand_ martinis."

A nervous laugh swept the room, but everyone relaxed.

"So you are heading to California." Rapriro said with a nod. "Things are a bit tense there."

"So I have heard." Oprisa frowned a little. "Thing is..." She looked at Maggie who remained blank. "We have some potential bad news to deliver. So it cannot wait."

"Bad news?" Rapriro asked carefully. Maggie looked at Oprisa who nodded.

"I can't say where we were or what we were doing, but my husband is missing." Maggie said softly.

"He is not dead." Sarah snapped her mouth shut as everyone looked at her. She shook her head savagely, but Oprisa smiled at her and she relaxed.

"If this is some off the books intelligence operation..." The loudmouth who had questioned them before started. "We won't have it. That is not legal."

"Only legal if it is one run by _your_ agency, Agent Tobias?" Oprisa's tone was calm, but held a sharp bite as well. He flushed and would have retorted, but his supervisor coughed loudly and he subsided. "In point of fact, no. Everything is above board, just held very quiet so that nutcases like the one who was just here don't get ideas. Hence why I am here instead of a tac team. And why we are flying commercial from here instead of private or military."

"That does make sense." Supervisor Rapriro frowned. "But we do have questions."

"What I can answer, I will." Oprisa shrugged. "But they stay with me."

"Fair enough."

* * *

37 minutes later

It wasn't as bad as Sarah had feared. After a few attempts that had been met with silence, all of the questions had been directed at Oprisa.

"Do you know what language he was speaking?" A new agent had met them in another room, smaller and just as sterile, but with chairs and table. This one female with a nametag that said 'Koros'. She wore the uniform of the TSA, but her insignia was different.

"Honestly? I am not sure." Oprisa had settled Maggie and Sarah into chairs and stood beside them. "It sounded similar to a couple of languages I know, but I didn't hear any words I know. He was cursing, and it made no sense for the most part, even in languages I did know."

Sarah was pretty sure that was not true. If _she_ had understood Rylan curses, then there was no way the elder psi hadn't. But saying it was an alien language wouldn't end well.

"What languages do you speak?" The female agent asked, curious, and Oprisa just looked at her and the human flushed. "Sorry."

"This is unusual enough to be remarked on, Agent Koros." Oprisa warned. "But that is not a good thing. My worry... _He_ did not make those things."

"No, he did not." Agent Koros agreed, eyeing Maggie and Sarah who remained silent. "Were you the targets? He went straight for Sarah."

"I don't see how. This was very rushed and we did not inform anyone we were coming." The psi shrugged. "Sarah's clothing is eclectic enough that he had a good chance of hiding the device in it. "

Oprisa had always astounded Sarah with her ability to keep a straight face while sounding incredibly disapproving. Sarah rubbed the leg of her pants dress even as Maggie put a hand to her face to cover her smile. Mostly. Sort of. Sarah fought to keep her face under control, but Oprisa was speaking again.

" Add to that... the device he had was small enough that it would have dispersed that substance, but the blast would have only killed him." The psi shook her head. "Would have made a mess, but there wasn't enough to hurt more than him." She frowned. "Did Hazmat take the device?"

"The RCMP sent a team." The TSA agent clearly wasn't happy about that. "We will get a report. Eventually." Oprisa scoffed and the agent actually smiled.

"We have places to go and bad news to deliver." Oprisa said with a shrug. "We done?"

"I..." The TSA agent slumped a bit but then nodded as Oprisa stiffened. "According to federal statue, as ones involved in a terrorist incident. I have to bar you entry."

"Bar us entry for being victims." Oprisa's tone was calm, but both Maggie and Sarah froze. Something... "Let me guess. New directives from on high?"

"I can't say." The agent who had been kind a moment before said firmly. Oprisa heaved a sigh and the agent flushed, but did not speak again.

"Fine." Oprisa scowled, but kept her face under control otherwise. "Maggie. Sarah, we are leaving. We will come back another time. Hopefully with fewer cracked fools." It was hard to say if she was speaking of the would-be terrorist or the TSA. "Understand that there _will_ be words between the Home Office and your State Department over this." She said to the agent who wilted further.

"I have to hold you here." Agent Koros said slowly. "You are under arrest."

"For?" Oprisa asked, her tone tightly controlled now.

"Suspicion of collusion with terrorists." Koros rose, her hands coming up with cuffs, but she froze as Oprisa moved to stand between her and the seated women. Two men in TSA uniform entered the room, both tense.

"Put those away. You Yanks are _all_ bloody _mental_." Oprisa said softly, her hand now in her pocket. The customs agent tensed, but she relaxed as Oprisa's hand came out with her phone. The agent's eyes went huge as Oprisa tapped it on.

"You won't get a signal in-" The agent's eyes nearly bugged out of her head as the phone chirped and Oprisa flicked the screen, showing a horde of information that was too small to make out before putting it to her ear.

"Oprisa 184." The psi said flatly into the phone, her other hand up in a wait gesture to Sarah and Maggie who rose form their chairs and moved to the wall, out of the way. "I need the Boss. Now. We have a situation." At that, the customs agent _paled_. Oprisa shook her head. "Not your fault, agent. You are just obeying orders. It shouldn't splash on you." She jerked and focused on her phone. "Yes, sir. A situation. Did you get the video I sent? Ah good. They are not letting us in." A pause and she winced. "Yes, sir. They say 'Collusion with terrorists'."

She jerked the phone away from her head and a torrent of _loud_ British cursing sounded from it. Even with it not on speaker, it was _impressive_. Maggie and Sarah both stared at Oprisa who shook her head and rolled her eyes. When the noise subsided a bit Oprisa put the phone gingerly back to her head.

"Ah... sir?" Oprisa asked warily. "Yes. I am here. Uh, no. They are probably going to go with clause six or twelve." Agent Koros stared at Oprisa and then swallowed hard. "Yes sir. Ah, sir. If we do that, we will miss the flight." She jerked to almost stand at attention. "Yes sir. Right sir. I will tell them." Her phone turned off and she stared at it for a moment, her expression pensive, before she put it away. "Well... that is that."

She waved at Maggie at Sarah to relax and moved to the wall to stand just ion front of them. There she stood, her posture calm, but ready.

"You are all three under arrest." Agent Koros tried again. Two other customs agents started forward but froze as Oprisa glared at them.

"No, we are not." Oprisa replied evenly. "And before you try? This area may or may not technically be part of the US, but it is surrounded by a Canadian Airport, not your precious States. If you so much as lay a _finger_ on any of us... My boss is already angry. He _might_ order an SAS extraction and to hell with the consequences. So be _very_ sure that you can live with the results if you try to be stupid. He told me to wait. I am going to wait. You are not my boss and you are not taking my charges." She stretched, just a little. The implication was clear. The only way she was going anywhere was unconscious or dead.

It wasn't very long before something else happened. Maybe two minutes later, the door opened again.

"What the _hell_?" Agent Rapriro stormed into the room, his face furious. "What the hell are you _doing_?" Everyone stared at him and he snarled "I _just_ got a call from DC saying the _British Prime Minister_ is on the phone and _furious_."

"My boss has little tact sometimes." Oprisa winced. "Especially when he deals with crack headed twits."

"Your _boss_ is the _Prime Minister_?" Rapriro shared her wince.

"No." Oprisa replied. Her eyes were on the two other customs agents and her hands hadn't moved. "Gun."

"You two." One of the newcomers said flatly as he aimed a handgun with a long tube attached to it at Oprisa. The other had a similar one aimed at the customs agents. "Against the wall." Oprisa ignored him, eyeing Rapriro who had frozen.

"No orders came through you." The psi said softly. He shook his head. "These are not yours." He shook his head again. "I see."

"Move." The fake customs agent with the gun snapped.

"TSA? DOWN!" Oprisa snapped as her hand flashed.

Sarah saw it all happen. Both men with guns seemed to hesitate. Or they were frozen momentarily. Koros and Rapriro ducked as Oprisa's hand came out of her pocket with a small weapon. The TSA agents didn't see the two bursts of energy that flared from Oprisa's weapon, each striking center mass. But instead of burning holes in them like most energy weapon Sarah was familiar with, each of the fake agents fell to lie limp on the floor. Oprisa moved like a striking snake, her foot lashing out to send the fallen pistols skidding far across the floor. Her aim did not waver from the fallen men.

"What the hell is that?" Koros stood up slowly, staring at the device in Oprisa's hands. Oprisa smiled and opened her hand. The agent's eyes went wide as she saw a lipstick container attached to something else. Sarah's eyes widened too. "Ah..."

"Short range stunner." Oprisa said with a nod as Rapriro rose as well, bending down to carefully pick up one pistol, then the other. "Designed to be undetectable and look harmless. No lasting damage and won't penetrate anything solid. They will wake in an hour or so. Not even a headache when they wake up." Maggie stiffened but Oprisa smiled at her and the human subsided.

"Q Branch really exists?" Koros asked, staring from the odd weapon to the fallen assailants and back.

"You know I cannot answer that." Oprisa said with a snort as she stepped back to the wall. "That said? Nerds are nerds. Even ones who read to many spy thrillers." She said with a shrug. "They make cool toys that work sometimes." Koros' eyes went huge and Oprisa shook her head. "Please don't ask." She turned to the supervisor who was eyeing her. "I am betting the cameras in here malfunctioned just before those two came in."

"Haven't checked." The supervisor said with a frown. "But if they hadn't... someone would have come in."

"And probably died." Oprisa said with a frown. "Anyone willing to smuggle _firearms_ in here..." She paused and knelt by the men, patting one down expertly. "Nope. No ID. Didn't really expect that."

Sarah was shaking little and her mom took the girl's hands in her own. Maggie pulled Sarah gently into an embrace and held her as she shook.

"You okay?" Oprisa asked the girl. Sarah shook her head but then took a deep breath and nodded. "I know this isn't your kind of thing, Sarah, but it was likely not aimed at you. Could have been me, could have been your mom. Could have been random and us stopping the nut caused these..." She waved slightly at the unconscious forms as Rapriro and Koros cuffed them. "...to go into damage control mode. We don't know. And if they are what I think? We won't."

"What do you think?" Rapriro asked carefully as he stood up, laid the pistols down on a table far away from the unconscious forms and pulled out his phone. Koros just glared at them. "I will have more people here in moments."

"What I think doesn't really matter since this isn't my job, but they scream 'intelligence operative' to me." Oprisa said with a frown. "No mercenary is going to be dumb enough to do such a thing for any amount of money. I mean, really?" She shook her head again. "Bad enough smuggling firearms into a controlled facility, but threatening TSA officers with firearms is not a misdemeanor charge if I remember correctly."

"No." Rapriro said with a nod. "Automatic felony unless they have changed that in the last day." He muttered something about 'not yet'.

"I hate to say this..." Oprisa said quietly. "But am I under arrest? If so... This is going to get _worse_."

"I haven't heard anything about it." Rapriro said to Koros who flushed. "Agent?" She passed him her phone and he scanned it then shook his head. "This looks legit, but it would have come through me and I would have kicked it upstairs on general principle." He shook his head,. "Consider these orders countermanded, Agent Koros. And if you could call off your boss, Agent Oprisa?"

"I will try." Oprisa pulled her phone out and started dialing. "He will want to know who these guys are. Any chance on a joint investigation since they targeted me and mine?"

"All I can do is ask." The supervisor said with a wince. "But stopping this from becoming a full blown international incident would _help_." Oprisa nodded with a jerk and then focused on her phone. She pulled out a tiny earpiece and slid it in, talking very quietly and texting at the same time.

""Are you two all right?" Rapriro asked Sarah and Maggie. They shrugged and he made a face. "She told you not to talk and you obey orders. Can't blame you." They both smiled at his tone and nodded.

"Let's see if we can uncluster this mess."


	7. Chapter 7

**Do not cross the Maggie**

Sarah stood quietly while Oprisa did her thing. She wasn't sure what was going on. A quick look at her mom produced a similar minute shrug. She checked her chrono- She kicked herself mentally. On Earth, they called it a 'watch'. The warning she had set for how long until she needed her next dose of psi blocker was not flashing yet, but it would be soon. She had an hour or so, Earth time. This was not something she wanted to test however.

Being a psi really, really sucked on occasion. Being a newly emerged one was worse. In the course of her training, she had seen others pass the same threshold, so she knew the basics. But this was far beyond anything that anyone might consider 'basic'. Never in her worst nightmares had she ever envisioned the possibility of being a precognitive. Just the stories were horrific enough, but she could almost... feel... She squashed that. She would not reach out with her mind. Not here. Not now.

Without thought, Sarah moved a half step closer to her mom as a swarm of uniformed forms stomped in and took charge of the two bogus agents who had attempted to accost the trio. The supervisor's explanation was terse and brief, but none of them as much as glanced at Maggie or Sarah. Instead, most of them looked at Oprisa who was still talking into her phone quietly but earnestly.

"Get these imposters out of here and into secure lockup." Supervisor Rapriro said with a growl worthy of a Rylan sand dweller when its burrow was threatened. " _Nobody_ talks to them until I hear back from DC. I don't care _what_ their authorization says. These jokers had guns and threatened us all. That is a breach of _my_ security and I want to know how they did it now." He didn't raise his voice and Sarah couldn't help but admire the quiet intensity that he projected. He shook his head. "The Canadians are just going to _love_ this."

"Not a problem, Supervisor Rapriro." Oprisa said as she closed her phone, pulling the earbud out and stowing it somewhere. "My boss' boss is still on the phone with DC himself and now they know all the facts. This was planned carefully by someone else. I was just told in no uncertain terms that this whole mess is now above my paygrade and to 'butt out'." She made a face. "I hate politics."

"It can be barrels of fun at times." Rapriro said with a nod. "So..." He urged.

"I told him we have a third party trying to mess up relations." Oprisa shrugged. "True, in as far as we know. I can only hope they would have left you two alive. Me or my charges?" She shook her head. "I don't know. If they wanted us dead, they probably would have fired as soon as they entered. Right now? I don't care. We have places to be. My boss has ordered a transport on standby if you need us to remain, but a military transport plane is hardly covert."

"No." Rapriro shook his head. "Nothing in the regs says we have to detain you. Two witnesses saw what happened here and everyone saw what happened before. Koros..." The junior agent stiffened and nodded as the supervisor looked at her. "Get them to their flight. Now."

"Sir!" The agent all but snapped to attention, nodding to the three women. "Come with me."

She started for the door. After a wave from Oprisa, Maggie followed the agent. Sarah did not quibble. She followed her mother as Oprisa brought up the rear.

Sarah's mind was whirling as she walked. The agent leading them wasn't running, but she wasn't dawdling either. The crowds had thinned a bit, but the smell was just as bad as it had been before. Somewhere nearby a child was crying and she- She jerked as Oprisa laid a hand on her arm. She looked at the agent as they walked and Oprisa shook her head.

"When we get to the gate, we will need to freshen up if we have time." The alien agent said quietly. "I booked us coach seats, so it will be cramped. Two sets on one side of the aisle, one on the other. I am in the middle. You okay?" Sarah frowned slightly and gave a minute head shake. Lying to the psi was pointless. Oprisa nodded. "I want to grab a newspaper and see what the Congressional election results were."

"You don't care about the presidential race?" Koros asked as they started up an escalator quickly. The few people on it saw her uniform and moved to the side, allowing the four hurrying beings to pass.

"Not really." Oprisa shrugged. "No matter how good or bad the American president may be, they are limited to his power. While I may have reservations about the current president elect, he is unlikely to be able to start a world war with a tantrum like some dictators I might name." Koros turned an incredulous glance at her and the agent shrugged. "The Polish say it well. 'Not my circus. Not my monkeys.' He is not my president. This will cause problems, but any president has the same things happen when they are elected. People are going to test him. Good, bad or indifferent, they are going to test him." She paused as the group slowed for a man who didn't look up. A cough from Koros had him waving at them dismissively.

"Move." The agent didn't bother to wait and see if he did. She simply started walking again.

They had almost passed when the businessman reached out with a hand and patted Maggie on the rear end.

"Nice ass, honey." The man had a New England accent and he leered, only to freeze as Maggie spun to glare at him. The rest of the group stopped and turned to glare at him. "What?"

"Maggie..." Oprisa said softly. "We have _two_ minutes to get to gate before they start boarding. We do not have time for this."

"They won't leave you. Boss called the gate as we left." Koros had a look on her face that might have been akin to someone discovering an ugly bug crawling on their shoe. A wide circle of silence had gathered and two large uniformed airport security guards were approaching. "While I do not and cannot condone anything that might jeopardize the safety and security of this facility, if he had done that to me, he would on the ground. Maybe holding a broken wrist."

"He wouldn't have." Oprisa said flatly as the airport security arrived. "You are in uniform and even a moronic letch usually knows better than to commit sexual harassment with a uniformed agent. Maggie." She hissed as Sarah's mother raised a hand. But instead of making any kind of obscene gesture, she showed the ring on her finger.

"I am sure your parents, whoever or _what_ ever they are, are quite proud of you." Maggie said into the sudden stillness. "After all, a man who obviously cannot get it up on his own has to find opportunities somewhere besides the shower stall with his hand. But be very glad my husband is not here. You would have lost that hand."

"Do you know who -?" The businessman started, only to be cut off as Maggie laughed.

"I don't _care_ who you are." Maggie snapped. "You have proven to me that you are a lust driven teenager. A stupid one at that." She pointed at the airport security whose impassive faces spoke volumes. "Please tell me you got that on video."

"We did, Ma'am." The larger guard said with a nod.

"Good." Maggie frowned."While I would love to press charges, I have a plane to catch."

"No problem, Ma'am." The guard replied as he took hold of the businessman's arm. "We have been watching him since he arrived. You are the third he has groped, the first we caught on camera."

"Three strikes?" Maggie asked, a grin slowly crossing her face. "Please tell me your jail has a really nasty cell?"

"Sorry, Ma'am." The guard replied, also grinning slightly. "Cleaned daily."

"Pity." Maggie turned her now evil smile back on the businessman who was gawking at her, trying to pull away from the guard who had him. "I always found the best results when people used toothbrushes to clean them."

"Ah, that is cruel, Ma'am. They don't let us do that." The guard was smiling openly now even as the others relaxed.

"You trollop!" The businessman snapped. "I will sue you and this whole place for everything it is worth!"

"Does your lawyer help you in _bed_ too?" Maggie asked sweetly. She stared from his face down to his legs, then back and shook her head. "Ah, he _must_."

The man's face purpled and he jerked free of the guard who held his arm. He swung an open hand at Maggie, but that was when his day went off the rails. Sarah didn't move, Oprisa didn't move. Maggie blocked the pitiful strike and lashed out once with an open palm. The blow to his sternum only _looked_ gentle. The man staggered back onto the arms of the security guard who had released him. The guard took a firmer hold this time. Maggie froze and dropped her hands from the instinctive guard position she had assumed.

"Ah... Oops." Maggie frowned, looking around. Oprisa just shook her head as Sarah grinned openly.

"He was swinging at you. Assault with intent to commit battery." Koros said mildly. "You defended yourself. Nice strike. What belt?"

"Brown." Maggie replied instantly, relaxing a little as both guards took hold of the stunned businessman. "I do it for exercise, not to get into fights." Sarah made a noise and Maggie half snarled at her. "Don't start, girl. You are not too old to spank." More than one of the quiet crowd that had gathered snickered at Sarah's 'Who me?' expression.

"Show is over, people." The airport guard who had been speaking declared and the crowd started to disperse. "We got it on video from two angles, Ma'am." He reassured Maggie. "He struck first. Tried to anyway." He chuckled and then sobered. "You may not want to press charges, but the other two are."

"What?" The businessman started to yell as the other guard cuffed him. "You cannot do this to me! She hit me."

"Says the man who has been harassing women all day." The guard said with a shrug. "Go on. We have this."

Maggie nodded and turned back to Koros who gave a tight smile and started off again. Oprisa, Maggie and Sarah followed. The all ignored the shouting behind them as the man was led away.

As they approached the gate, Koros shook her head.

"Not all Americans are sexist jerks." The agent said softly as they saw the crowd gathering to board.

"Statistically, very few are." Maggie replied when Oprisa nodded slightly. "But those _few_..." She trailed off, made a face and Koros shared it. "Thank you for the escort, agent. I hope the rest of your day is less exciting."

"You and me both. The paperwork for this is going to be a pain." The TSA agent said flatly. "Three for the flight." She said to the man behind the kiosk. "No luggage."

"Yes, the desk called, said you were on the way." The boarding attendant nodded. "Ah, one thing. They said to upgrade your seats."

"What?" Oprisa asked, concerned. Koros just shook her head and the alien masquerading as human shook hers. "So much for being quiet."

"Least we could do for the inconvenience." Koros actually smiled as Oprisa looked at her. "And if your could tell your boss that I hope never to see you again? No offense."

"None taken. I do tend to wear out my welcome fast." Oprisa said with a smile that faded. "I hope this doesn't splash on you, agent."

"Me too." Koros said with a grin and held out her hand. Oprisa took it and they shook once. Then the human agent turned and left without a backward glance.

"Let's get you aboard." The boarding agent said with a smile as the rest of the passengers vanished into the loading ramp.

"And you are off to the sunny US of A."

* * *

Airborne, fifty minutes later

Sarah hadn't expected this part of the trip to be fun and it wasn't. She could almost feel the minds crammed into the tiny plane around her. She could certainly smell the body odor. Her mom had told her over and over that many humans didn't think such things were important, but Sarah hadn't really believed it. Oh, she remembered smelling nasty things the last time, but she hadn't been crammed into a tiny steel box with a horde of minds that she was desperately trying to keep from reading.

Oprisa's first act on sitting was to give Sarah a quick once over, both physically and mentally. Sarah did not resist at all. While it was technically possible, it would hurt. Oprisa was far more experienced in such things and she was also thoroughly ruthless when it came to her job. She couldn't use a hypo injector here in public, so she slapped a patch onto Sarah's arm that was supposed to be for motion sickness. It wasn't the full psi blocker, but it helped the girl to cope.

Thankfully, the flight wasn't that long. For someone used to interstellar distances, the span of a few thousand kilometers was laughable. But the speed at which the human aircraft flew was also laughable. Sarah envied her mom. Maggie sat down, put her head back and was almost instantly asleep. She wasn't so lucky. She jerked as Oprisa's hand touched hers.

 _You okay?_ The psi's mind voice was worried. Physical touch allowed Oprisa to bypass the blocker, putting her words directly into Sarah's mind with little effort and letting her read the responses the same way.

 _I don't know._ Sarah admitted. _I never wanted to come back here._

 _I know._ There was little about Sarah that her mentor did not know, but it didn't worry her. She knew Oprisa almost as well. Almost. _You can ask here. No one will hear us talk._

 _Did you really pretend to be Jane Bond?_ Sarah asked, trying hard to keep the disbelief out of her mind voice. She knew Oprisa would feel it anyway.

 _No._ Oprisa replied. _That was all legit._ _We have worked with the Foreign Office. Somewhat. Also with the CIA, SVR, Mossad... the list goes on and on. Where do you think I got the latest intel from?_ Sarah's eyes went huge at that and Oprisa laughed in her mind. _Hey. Not all humans are clueless. Remember that._

 _I will._ Sarah said slowly, forcing herself to relax. _That was Rylan wasn't it? What that terrorist was swearing._

 _Yes._ Oprisa had a thoughtful tone in her mind now. _I had scans up, he wasn't targeting you specifically. But if there are Xurians here..._

 _Where there is one there are more._ Sarah grumped. _Like Earth cockroaches._

 _Pretty much._ Oprisa shook her head.

 _So... who did the two fake agents work for?_ Sarah asked. _I saw you stunt hem before you shot them. Did you get a scan?_

 _Didn't have time._ Oprisa said with an audible sigh. _The list is long and varied. I don't think they were mercenaries, but they were not Zandozans either. They were human._

 _Good._ Sarah fought to stay calm. Her mother and father had told her stories about the assassins that Xur had sent after Alex when he had gone back to Earth during the first Ko-Dan invasion. _But we cannot underestimate anyone._

 _True. A projectile from a human weapon will kill just as surely as high power energy pulse._ Oprisa said with a small nod. _I knew they were off the moment they entered. Didn't think they were stupid enough to bring firearms in there. If they hadn't?_

 _If they hadn't had firearms, you would have let_ **Mom** _handle it._ Sarah quipped and Oprisa smiled. _'Brown belt'...Yeah_ **r** **ight** _._ Oprisa shared Sarah's mental chuckle.

The primary style of unarmed fighting taught to all Legionnaires only _had_ one belt. It _was_ brown, but denoted master class. Maggie had been studying it alongside her husband for decades and was better than him in many ways, since he focused on gunstars more than hand to hand. Like Earth Aikido, it was not a tournament art. It was for defending oneself, often against multiple foes. Maggie was one of the best in the Legion at the art and had repeatedly shown her ability to do amazing -and terrifying!- things with her body in the service of the Legion. Only once had anyone dared to challenge her to physical combat outside of sparring. The challenger had been almost seven feet tall and mostly muscle. By the time Maggie was done with said challenger -the female alien had aggravated the human quite thoroughly- said female alien had spent two _weeks_ in the Legion infirmary recovering despite the best League medical care. Being a psi had taught Sarah's mom a lot about using her mind and body together and few could match her when she got angry, as the psionic agents had discovered to their cost.

Funny thing, said alien was now one of Maggie's best friends and a staunch defender of the Legion Logistics Commander to anyone, anytime.

 _So... We get in and... What?_ Sarah asked. _You said we are being met?_

 _Your uncle Louis is meeting us at the airport with his family._ Oprisa said quietly. _They are not cleared for everything. Not yet._

 _And when they are?_ Sarah had to smile, remembering the two rug rats who she called cousins. They would be twelve and ten Earth years old now. _Bobby and Lisa are good kids._

 _I hope we have time to break all of the news to people gently._ Oprisa frowned. _But with this new election, parts of the US are going to go nuts. Even discounting the League's intent... This may not a good time to be in the US._ She said and patted Sarah's hand as the girl slumped a bit. _It is handled. If we need to run, we can. I have extraction resources on call._

 _At what cost, Oprisa?_ Sarah asked. The other psi did not answer. Indeed, the other withdrew her hand as the flight attendant started her rounds.

 _I don't want to hurt my family._


	8. Chapter 8

**Wanted**

Sarah was glad to finally be off the plane. The flight hadn't been fun at all. The turbulence had been mild and it hadn't really been that long of a trip, but her mental walls were fraying. Oprisa had managed to strengthen Sarah's walls during the trip, but there were limits to how much psi blocker a human form could handle without becoming toxic and causing all kinds of problems. There were also limits to how much even the much more experienced psi could do when they were surrounded by humans. So, Sarah was holding onto her mind tightly.

It was all Sarah could do not to breath a huge sigh of relief when they finally exited the tiny aircraft and walked up the ramp into the terminal of the airport. Maggie and Oprisa flanked her as they passed through the gate and into the terminal proper. The other passengers paid them no mind as they walked straight towards the door that would lead them towards the exit.

"How you doing?" Oprisa asked softly. Sarah shook her head and Oprisa nodded. "We will get you some help as soon as we are clear of the mess. Louis and his family know you have 'problems' with crowds, so they won't press too hard." Sarah quirked a grin at the veteran psi and Oprisa chuckled. "Okay, yeah. The kids will. Just hold your shields, Sarah." Sarah nodded and tightened her grip on her mental stability.

Just in time.

"Aunt Maggie!" Two voices chorused as the trio passed the door into the main terminal from the arrivals section. Maggie smiled wide as two small tornadoes swept to her and hugged her tight. She looked at Oprisa who smiled and nodded. Bobby was a curly haired copy of his dad and Lisa? She was going to break a lot of hears with her dark hair and soft, sad eyes.

"Bobby. Lisa." Maggie hugged her nephew and niece gently even as they hugged her tightly. "Oh, how you have both grown."

"Kids do that, Maggie." A familiar voice sounded and Sarah turned to see Louis Rogan standing nearby, a familiar bemused smile on his face.

"Uncle Louis!" Sarah was in his arms before she even realized she was in motion. She couldn't feel his mind and it didn't matter as she released some of the pent up emotion that had filled her. Tears were falling despite her best efforts.

"Hey Kiddo." Louis ruffled Sarah's hair. "You have grown too." He hugged her gently and then held her out at arm's length. "You look like hell. Bad flight?"

"Yeah." Sarah managed through clenched teeth.

"Cindy is getting the car." Louis said with a nod. "Was kind of surprised you flew commercial, but I can see the reasons. We have a space set up for you."

"Is your car big enough for all of us?" Sarah asked, trying to remember if she had ever seen Louis' car when she was here last. Louis, his wife, his two kids and now the three travelers? There would be no way to fit them all in many human vehicles even without luggage.

"That is not going to be a problem. We bought a minivan last year." Louis said with a familiar smile. It hurt so much, it was so like Sarah's dad's smile. Louis' smile faltered as he scrutinized her. "Alex isn't here and isn't coming." Not a question.

"He is alive." Sarah said into his shoulder. "But everyone said we needed a vacation."

"Yeah." Louis hugged her again. "You are tense, girl. Can you relax?" Sarah froze mentally. He knew. Somehow her uncle knew she was tense and why? But how? "I was told you both needed a vacation and I can feel your muscles quivering. It is all right, Sarah. It is all right."

"We need to talk to your mom, Louis." Maggie had extricated herself from her two hangers on and now held their hands. "Things are coming. _Big_ things." Louis' eyes widened a little and he looked from Maggie to Sarah to Oprisa who had retreated a little so as not to crowd. He took in the older psi's ready stance and then nodded a little.

"Big as in… 'Arcade game' type big?" Louis asked carefully. Maggie nodded and her husband's brother blew out a breath. "This is not a good time for such things." He groaned.

"Is there _ever_ a 'good' time for such things?" Sarah asked with a small smile that turned resigned as he ruffled her hair again. "Uncle Louis!"

"Not that I have seen, but if… oh crap. Kids, go help your mom with the car." Louis muttered as two forms in uniform moved towards the group. Both kids bolted and Sarah went still as she saw two male police officers. Not security forces, police. Here? She didn't know the uniforms. Did she? Then it clicked. California Highway Patrol. Here? At an airport? What?

"Louis Rogan." The larger of the pair said with a smile that was anything but friendly. "Long time."

"Yeah. Since _yesterday_. Get lost, Blake." Louis snapped. "Maggie and Sarah just got in after a long flight. Alex isn't here."

"Where is he?" The policeman replied, his gaze hard.

"Not here." Louis said firmly. "Take your _well bought_ badge and go pester someone else. Maybe an actual _criminal_ for once?" Sarah stiffened. Why was Louis so angry? She didn't dare look at Oprisa, but the alien psi wasn't intervening. Odd.

"Your brother is a criminal and I will see him behind bars where he belongs." The policeman retorted. His gaze turned sly as he looked at Maggie. "Hello Maggie."

"I can't say I am surprised." Maggie said to the other policeman who looked slightly confused. "He didn't tell you why he came here, did he?" The cop didn't react and Maggie shook her head. "Still angry about your truck, Jack? I heard insurance paid nicely."

"The truck has nothing to do with it." The policeman retorted. "Your husband is a murderer. A cop killer and I will prove it."

"Yeah." Louis snapped. "It is only legal if the _law_ kills people. Killed any good hostages today, Blake?" He asked snidely. The large policeman seemed about to raise a hand, but the other shook his head and both stalked off. "Joy."

"He is the one who… um..." Sarah broke off, unsure about what she could say or how.

"His truck blew up." Maggie had her face set in a grim line. "He blamed Alex and me, but he never had any actual proof that we were there when it did. He conveniently forgot what happened _later_ that night. It didn't help that the girl he was trying to seduce at the lake was underage." Sarah stared at her and Maggie shrugged. "No. He is not a bad sort, just focused. There was no coercion involved. She wanted it and he was willing. _Until_ he found out she was fourteen. To his credit, at that point, he told her 'no'. Then she started screaming about rape. Went to court and all. His dad paid for it, of course and he got off when the judge realized the girl was both stupid and greedy. But if there is _one_ thing Jack Blake is, it is vindictive." Louis nodded soberly.

"I..." Sarah swallowed hard and then she felt dizzy. Oprisa was at her side in a heartbeat.

"Sarah?" Louis asked, concerned.

"I am all right." Sarah said weakly even as Oprisa checked her vitals. "Just tired."

"The van is big enough that you can lie down in the back." Louis had her hand even as Maggie took her other one. He looked at Oprisa and then at Maggie. "Come on, let's get you somewhere a bit more comfortable. You are taking care of her?"

"When she lets me." Oprisa said with a grin as she moved a step away, her face still tense. "It was a long flight. Sarah needs rest."

"A very long flight." Louis agreed with a small smile of agreement. He knew _exactly_ how far they had come.

"Come on, lets get you home so mom can do her thing."

* * *

An hour later

It was incredible. There were no drugs. No technology. Just an old, kind of smelly blanket and a chair that was less that comfortable in places. But Sarah had never felt as relaxed as she did as she sipped the hot cocoa her grandmother had made for her. Now if only the conversation was as comfortable.

"...so Jack is still being a pest." Sarah's grandmother was shaking her head as she nursed her own cocoa.

Jane Rogan had aged fairly well. She was still spry and capable, as shown by the clean rooms and spotless kitchen that graced the trailer that she still called home. The kids had gone off with their mom, Cindy, to do whatever it was that human kids did. Sarah had no idea what that might be and frankly? She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Yeah." Louis sighed from where he sat, Maggie at his side. Oprisa stood by the door, not _quite_ on guard. At least not to appearances. Sarah knew the psi's mind would be seeking, searching, checking for threats.

"He saw it land with all of us." Jane heaved a sigh of her own. "But he 'forgot it'." She made air quotes around her mug. "Part of me wanted to forget it, wanted to bury it all when the media storm hit. A police officer disappeared that day. No body was ever found, but the local cops did blame Alex."

"Easy to blame him when he wasn't here." Maggie sipped her own cocoa. "We were busy. Um..." She looked at Oprisa who smiled.

"We are good Maggie. No surveillance devices within two hundred meters. No sign of additional watchers?" She asked Louis who shook his head.

"Watchers?" Sarah asked and then kicked herself. "Oh, yeah. The US government wouldn't just ignore the events here, would they?"

"A gunstar lands in a trailer park and the media gets wind?" Jane Rogan laughed without humor. "Oh no. Not a chance. They sent a bunch of suits to 'talk' to us. But no one knew anything. No one thought to get pictures except Elvira and her camera was an old piece of junk that she forgot to put film in." Everyone stared at her ad she shook her head. "She only told _me_ and on the condition that I never talk about it while she was alive. She as a little embarrassed by the fact that she ha chance to get proof and didn't."

"At least Mrs Boone didn't shoot Grig." Maggie smiled a bit wistfully, memory of a very special night coming to the fore.

"We did get more tourist by every so often. Still do." Jane smiled and then shook her head and then became serious. "This is not a good time to be in the US, Maggie."

"So I saw." Maggie said dryly. "I mean… I get things are bad, but _Donald TRUMP_? If there is _anyone_ famous in the US _less_ diplomatic minded it doesn't come easily to my mind." She shook her head. "Speaking from a bit of experience… Starting wars is easy, especially when one doesn't care what one says. He doesn't seem to have a clue what he is doing."

"Few of the people here bothered to vote at all in the last election." Jane said sadly. "I did. Louis and Cindy did. For most everyone else? Not much point. A liar or a madman? Some choice. I am sure wherever Otis is, he is muttering about better days coming." Sadness crept into her eyes.

"So many gone." Maggie heaved a sigh. "But Sarah says Alex isn't."

Sarah tensed as both Jane and Louis eyed her. She swallowed hard, but Oprisa was beside her in an instant, a rock of stability in her tumultuous world. She looked up at her mentor and Oprisa nodded.

"There is no easy way to say this..." Sara kept her voice low and careful. "I am a psi."

"Psi?" Jane frowned in thought. "I assume that isn't some sorority?" But Louis was staring at Sarah, her mouth falling open. "Louis?"

"What powers?" Louis asked after a moment.

"We are still figuring that out." Oprisa interjected before Sarah could tense any further. "She just found out she had them. It was fairly stressful for her. But she 'saw' your son, Jane Rogan, escape a battle that he had been losing. She has seen him since and before you say anything, it is well documented. This isn't some hoaxster on your television or leading a cult. We have seen such things before. They are rarely pleasant."

"And you are with her...because?" Jane pressed.

"I am her mentor." Oprisa replied, laying a hand on Sarah's shoulder. "Part teacher, part confidant..."

"Part drill instructor." Sarah muttered. Oprisa's hand gave her shoulder a warning squeeze and she relaxed.

"You are not supposed to like me all the time, Sarah." Oprisa was smiling when she said that. "And before you ask, Louis Rogan, I too am a psi, but no, I am not reading your mind. I don't do that unless I sense danger." Louis had been tensing and then he visibly forced himself to relax.

"Reading my body language." Louis said quietly. Oprisa nodded. "So… what is it you do for the League?"

"You do _not_ want to know." Maggie and Sarah chorused. They looked at each other and shared a tiny smile.

"So… why are you here, now?" Jane asked. "I mean, telling us about Alex hurts, but seeing you two is a good… thing..." She trailed off. Sarah had always known that her grandma was smart. "Why are you here?"

"The Ko-Dan took a world." Maggie said quietly. "That has never happened before. The Legion always managed to hold them back, if not easily. The enemy have a base of operations inside the League now, something they have lacked. One of the major advantages we have had is the length of their supply lines. Our supplies come from closer than theirs did and our supply lines are far easier to defend. If they get the manufacturing capability of that world up to speed, we have all kinds of problems. The Legion is massing to take the space around it, but we haven't gone on the offensive recently. Never on the ground. And never without Alex."

"Fighting a war defensively doesn't work." Jane said before Louis could do more than open his mouth. He stared at her and she shrugged. "You think you are the _only_ one who plays strategy games?"

"No." Louis had a sheepish grin on his face now. "Although it took a long time for me to realize that the Rogan1984 that always kicked my butt online was my _mom_." His cheeks were slightly red.

"Zerg rushing isn't the _only_ viable tactic, you know?" Jane asked and the flush on Louis' cheeks deepened.

"Hey, it works!" Louis protested.

"Except when it _doesn't_." Jane retorted. She returned her focus to the trio of visitors. "I thought Earth was off limits. Protected."

"It is." Maggie slumped a bit and took another sip of her cocoa. "But this new situation has the League running scared."

"Maggie." Oprisa's tone held a hint of reproof. "They don't do this _lightly._ "

"You are not _saying…_?" Jane inhaled sharply and Sarah could almost see the wheels turning in her Grandma's head. "Oh dear."

"The League is sending a delegation to open talks." Oprisa stated when Maggie shook her head. "Maggie tried to get them to change their minds. It stressed her. Then Sarah's emergence as a psi added stress to both of them. They need time to relax."

"This is not a good time." Jane Rogan said firmly. "With the new president's ah… innovative ideas... the economy is going nuts. His idea of diplomatic is to insult people. He has already provoked China and it looks like he is working closely with the Russians. With all the baggage _that_ entails. This is _not_ a good time." She repeated.

"We don't have a choice about the time." Oprisa said with a shrug. "And it gets worse."

"Of course it does." Jane muttered under her breath. "Go ahead." She groaned.

"On the way here, there was an incident." Oprisa said with a small frown. "I am not sure if it was targeted at Sarah or not. The pawn involved was simply set out to hurt a lot of people in the name of his 'cause'." Both Jane and Louis went still and Oprisa nodded. "I stopped that particular threat. The problem is, when he was taken away, the nut involved was swearing in a language that he has no business knowing."

"An off world language." Louis' soft words were not a question, but Maggie, Sarah and Oprisa all nodded. "There have been all kinds of stories about alien encounters, most hilariously bad or silly."

"Yeah, this would be far easier if we could take it to the Men in Black and they made everyone forget it all." Oprisa agreed. Louis goggled at her and she grinned at him. "Hey, I liked that series of movies."

"You would." Sarah grinned as Louis' expression turned poleaxed. She shook her head and bit down hard on a yawn.

"You are tired, child." Jane said softly as she rose from her chair. She moved to sit beside Sarah and laid an arm around the younger woman's shoulders.

"It has been a long day, Grandma." Sarah said weakly as she snuggled closer to her elder relative.

"We will let tomorrow take care of tomorrow." Jane hugged Sarah gently. "For now? I set up the guest trailer as soon as I heard you were coming. It has space for all three of you." Sarah was fighting to keep her eyes open and managed. She looked at Jane who was eyeing her. "The sooner the better. You are out on your feet, girl. You need sleep bad."

"Scared what I am going to dream tonight." Sarah said weakly as Maggie rose to pull her daughter up to her feet. Sarah did not resist as Maggie led her towards the door.

"It is handled, Sarah." Oprisa said quietly as she followed. "Let's get you settled."

"Good night, Sarah." Jane said from where she sat, her face lined with worry. "Rest well."

"Night Grandma."

* * *

 _Subject Rogan 2 has returned home_

 _Good. We have many questions for her._


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry for the long haitus. Life is no fun at times. Especially when lawyers get involved. Good news, there is no The Last Starfighter sequel planned that I know of. Bad news? There is no The Last Starfighter sequel planned that I know of.**

* * *

 **Home is where the heart is**

Sara was not asleep. She knew that. She was also not awake. She was somewhere in between. She was also not alone.

"Sara." Oprisa was shaking her head as she stood nearby in the formless gray world that Sara now sat in.

"This is not going well, is it?" Sara asked quietly. Her alien mentor shook her head. "Why did they send me _here_ , Oprisa?" Sara asked softly. "It doesn't make any sense. The compound had everything they needed to…" She gulped a little. "...to ease me when I pass."

"It has been a long time since we had a precog as powerful as you, Sara." Oprisa was calm, so calm. "No, the records don't lie. It rarely works out well in the end, but we do know more about how the mind works than we did with poor Loriorilllanosrap."

"I find it hard to feel now, Oprisa." Sara mused. "I am losing myself in this."

"I know." But then Oprisa smiled. "Thing is, Sara… You have consistently baffled and surprised us. There are a lot of things about you that seem to make no sense at all but when taken in context, you are a good person and a good student."

"Oprisa?" Sara shook her head. "Is my dad dead?"

"No one knows, Sara." The alien sighed. "It may be your gifts, it may be your subconscious trying to find hope using your gifts. We simply don't know. My gut says 'No'. You wouldn't be so stressed if he was dead. You would be sad, grieving, but not stressed like this."

Sara stared at her teacher and then smiled a little.

"There is always another point of view, isn't there?" Sara asked and then she slumped. "The US isn't going to react well when they hear why we are here, are they?"

"No." Oprisa replied. "But for now, you need to rest." She paused and then made a face. "And I mean _now_ , Sara. Go to sleep. That is an order, trainee."

"They are coming, aren't they?" Sara slowly eased herself down to the ground, her eyes closing as Oprisa's command settled over her. She couldn't have disobeyed her mentor if she had wanted to. She knew her limits.

"I had hoped they would wait until morning, but no, they have to be jerks about it. I will head them off." Oprisa promised. "For now, start computing pi."

"Oprisa." Sara complained but then her face fell still as she started mumbling under breath and numbers started appearing over and around her. Anyone trying to scan her mind while she slept would get an eyeful of numbers and little more. Her eyes closed and she was lost in the meditation. She would wake rested. She needed it.

Oprisa came back to herself standing by Sara's bed. A quick mental touch to the girl found Sara deep in the meditation. The alien shook her head as she left the room. The trailer was dark, but Oprisa had no trouble moving through it and keeping her movements silent. Long training and then long experience in the field had taught her those skills and many others.

Lights played through the window as the sound of an internal combustion engine came to Oprisa's ears. She could feel many minds sleeping around her as she left the trailer and made her way to the small store that served the trailer park. It hadn't changed much since Alex Rogan had left for the stars, the sign was newer looking and cleaner, but not much else was different. The Starfighter game still sat on the porch of the store. It was _highly_ unlikely that another Starfighter would be found here, but then again, it had been _incredibly_ unlikely that the game would have wound up here instead of Las Vegas where Centauri had planned or that a potential Starfighter would find it here and play it. The odds had been literally astronomical against Alex finding the game or playing it.

Oprisa shook her head as she leaned against the wall next to the game. The universe did seem to have a sense of the dramatic sometimes. Maybe they would find more Starfighters here. Earth had more than its share of violence, no question. But most of it was directionless, guided by blind hatred and little else. There were those in the League who worried hat letting the humans loose among the starts would unleash a scourge as bad or worse than the Ko-Dan and Oprisa could understand that. The humans had been through any number of traumatic ordeals. That did not excuse some of their their actions, nothing could in some cases. Thing was, the League hadn't always been so perfect and peaceful as it seemed on the surface, there had been times in its history where open warfare the likes of which any humans would understand had reared its head. But it had always been stamped out quickly and it had been a long, long time since the League had been forced to deal with such.

They had though, so Oprisa was as prepared as she could be.

She was pleasantly surprised when the car that pulled up to the store wasn't an obvious government sedan. It didn't even have government plates. It was either a team trying hard to remain covert or someone's personal car. Either way, it wasn't official and that made this much easier to deal with. She cast out with her mind and was not surprised by what she found. Luckily, no one seemed hostile.

Worried. A bit stressed. More than a bit confused. But no one was hostile. Which was good.

Two humans exited the car and Oprisa nodded to them as they approached her. Two men, both in black suits. At least neither was wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night. They hadn't gone that far yet. Soon, maybe, but not yet.

"Wondered when you guys would get here." Oprisa said idly.

"Your arrival threw a massive rock into a pit of vipers." The smaller of the two men said with a frown. He did not introduce himself.

"It gets worse." Oprisa warned. Both men stared at her and she shook her head. "You want to call off the two fire teams waiting out in the bushes? I am not hostile at the moment." That might change and if so, these humans had _no_ idea what they were aiming weapons at.

Some humans knew about the League. Various situations of all kinds had happened over the years to make covering everything up difficult or impossible. Men In Black aside, there wasn't really a conspiracy of silence about the existence of life off Earth, more an unstated desire to keep their problems Earth bound instead of spreading them as far and wide as possible. Oprisa had worked on Earth and had dealt with human agencies before, hence her cover identity with the Foreign Office. It seemed her infamy preceded her with this pair. That might be bad or good. Time would tell.

"We need to know your intentions." The other man said with a nod.

"I am here to protect Sara and Maggie Rogan." Oprisa said flatly. "I couldn't care less about planetary politics. I couldn't care less if the US president has a hard on and decides to ignore diplomatic law because his dick hurts." Neither man reacted and she shook her head slightly. "And if that sniper puts a finger to her trigger, she will fall asleep for an hour or so. _Anyone_ fires a shot and they won't wake up. Fair warning."

"Call them off." The taller man said firmly. The smaller man looked at him and the taller one shook his head. "We don't have a chance against Agent Oprisa and you know it."

"And here I thought sanity had gone bye-bye in this country." Oprisa did mildly as the smaller man put a hand to his ear and started talking in low tones.

"This is not a good time." The taller man shook his head. "Do you know who I am?"

"No." Oprisa replied. She did not elaborate and the man quirked a small smile at her.

"I am Senior Agent Maxwell, Central Intelligence." Oprisa looked at him and then at his car. He shrugged. "Hey, we work with what we have. Not all of us have the gear your kind seem to take for granted."

"That may change soon." Oprisa said quietly. Maxwell stared at her and then he blanched as realization dawned. "Yeah. That is why I am here under my real name. They are sending a diplomatic team to open negotiations."

" _Now?_ " The smaller man demanded, his tone tight. Oprisa looked at him and he flashed. "Special Agent Carter, FBI."

"Wonder where Homeland Security is. Maybe securing the _bar_?" Oprisa mused. Both men snorted and she smiled a bit sadly. "I did not come here to make waves, but there are _big_ waves coming. Right now, my focus is Maggie and Sara."

"And Sara's father?" Maxwell asked slowly.

"Don't tell me you haven't read the report from the airport." Oprisa sniffed. Neither man reacted and she shook her head. "He is MIA. They ran into an ambush and lost one, he didn't make it back."

"So he is dead." Carter said flatly.

"We don't know that." Oprisa replied. "If he is, then nothing we do will make any difference. If he isn't…" She shrugged. The human expression was so useful for conveying so many nuances that the voice could not. "Maggie and Sara will need help either way. It was decided that they would take a vacation. So, here they are."

"So many years in secret." Maxwell said softy. "It is finally coming out?"

"This is gonna be a shitstorm." Carter was even less enthused.

"More than you probably know." Oprisa said softly. Both men tensed as they looked at her. "The man arrested at the airport was cursing in _Rylan_ as he was dragged away." Both men inhaled and she nodded. "The only way he could have possibly known that language since Earth was off the contact list until this expedition was sent. Xur is here or has been here."

"Oh crap." Maxwell slumped. "Just when I think our jobs might get easier… I hate you, you know?" He growled at Oprisa who nodded. "Every single time you show up, our lives get complicated."

"Life is _always_ complicated." Oprisa retorted evenly. "But I can understand that. I feel the same way about Xur and his lunatics. Homegrown terrorists are bad enough when they don't have such a leader. When they _do_?" She spat.

"If he is here or has contacts here..." Carter was shaking his head. "Sleeper agents are pain even without the tech that you people possess."

"They are a pain _period_." Oprisa said flatly. Both humans nodded.

"What are the odds that he has someone watching the Rogans?" Maxwell said after a moment's thought.

"For people like you and me, the odds would be high. For that nut? I don't know. There is no one in the trailer park or close by." Oprisa replied. "I checked and our security is still tight."

"How can you be sure?" Maxwell asked. Oprisa just looked at him and he sighed. "Never mind."

"Xur _did_ know where the park was." Oprisa cautioned. "He sent assassins here." She paused and shook her head. "The cover story still holding?"

"Barely." Maxwell frowned. "Too many saw the ship land. We have done what we could, but they talked to a _lot_ of press."

"One of the men who was there became a cop who now seems fixated on Alex Rogan." Oprisa said with a small frown of her own. Both Maxwell and Carter groaned. "I see you have met him too."

"If Jack Blake were like his old man, it wouldn't be a problem." Carter said with a shake of his head. "Old Man Blake was a lot of things, but he knew the lines and didn't cross them. An ass, to be sure, but an ethical one. His son is just an ass."

""He is trying to pin the disappearance of a cop on Alex Rogan as murder." Oprisa warned. Both of the men groaned again. "Yeah. I know. There was no body. The assassin was good, but unprepared for you lot." She smiled at the men who relaxed a little. "Honestly, I am here to help Sara and Maggie relax. Because when the others get here, _no one_ is going to be relaxed."

"Why now?" The FBI agent demanded. "I mean, you have ignored every attempt to ask for _anything_ in the past."

"You know about rules, Agent." Oprisa said with a shrug. She did like that human expression. "We have ours. However, things have changed. The reason they are coming right now?" She looked at the ground and shook her head again. "The Ko-Dan took a League world." Both men cursed softly and Oprisa nodded. "This has never happened since the Legion pushed them back and the Frontier was established. A lot of people are scared."

"And Xur is moving too." Maxwell said quietly. Oprisa nodded. "Well, shit."

"Yeah." The alien garbed as a human agreed. "Pretty much that in a nutshell."

"Don't land here!" Carter said flatly. Oprisa looked at him and the FBI agent flushed. "After all the crap that has been done in fiction and on TV, there is no way we would be able to secure anywhere in the US from the loonies. An island somewhere might work."

"And when your president finds out he cannot profit from this? What then?" Oprisa asked. "Easier to nuke an island than the middle of a city."

"He is not as crazy as he talks or acts, but he has surrounded himself with a lot of people who _are_." Maxwell warned.

"Don't tell me you do not have countermeasures against nuclear weapons." Carter said snidely.

"Nuclear fission weapons, such as most of your planetary militaries possess, are crude." Oprisa said flatly. "Effective enough, but crude and almost as dangerous to the user as to the target. There are countermeasures, but those are nothing you want to use in a populated area. They have to remain on and there are harmful effects, long term. When I was last briefed, they have not decided on where to land yet, but the US, Russia and China are not in the running."

"Smart." Carter said with a nod. "The US of course has its problems, Russia is slowly falling apart and China is a pain."

"The Chinese play a long, long game." Maxwell warned. "Where most people think in years or decades, they think in _centuries_. Have you dealt with them?" Oprisa just looked at him and he shook his head. "I am not asking operational details, I just want to know if you have dealt with them."

"My group has had dealing with them on occasion." Oprisa kept her tone carefully neutral. "I cannot say more."

"How would they react if you landed in Tienanmen Square?" Maxwell's eyes were calculating. Oprisa just looked at him, giving nothing away.

"Before or after they tried to blow us out of the sky for violating their airspace?" Oprisa retorted. Both men winced and Oprisa nodded. "I cannot say much. What I can say is that Xur has made _no_ headway there. As strange and uncomfortable as you Americans and others like you make us at times, _they_ are decidedly different. Hard to believe they are the same species."

"For more than just you." Maxwell was still eyeing her and Oprisa shook her head.

"If I have my way, we will take the Rogans and disappear." The agent warned. "That would be safest for everyone, but I bet Jane and Louis will balk. If I can talk them into it, we will leave and not come back. The media frenzy that is going to hit when they discover who the leader of the Legion is will be massive."

"If he is still alive." Carter said and paused as Oprisa shook her head. "What?"

"With him gone? _Maggie_ leads the Legion." Both of the humans froze at that. The extraterrestrial agent shook her head. "She never wanted the job, but she is damn good at it. _He_ was, maybe still is, the heart and soul of the Legion, _she_ was the brains behind it. She organized, cajoled, threatened, and sometimes even _beat_ sentients who had no reason to care for each other or anyone else into a force that has held off a horde larger than anything you can imagine for almost thirty years."

"How the _hell?_ " Carter inhaled, eyes huge.

"Any military is not just people who fight, agent." Oprisa shook her head. "You know this?" Both men nodded. "When Alex started rebuilding the Legion, he and Maggie were teenagers. Kids. They had no idea what they were getting into. But Maggie was bored. She had nothing to do but be with Alex and even for human teenagers, sex all the time gets old. She wanted to help, so she found away to do it. While _he_ rebuilt the Starfighter Corps, _she_ rebuilt the Legion that keeps their ships flying, their personnel fed and their equipment functional."

"Holy shit." Maxwell sounded almost as stunned as Carter. Both men eyes each other and nodded. "And if they lose her?"

"Maggie is not stupid." Oprisa slumped a bit. "We don't want to lose her, but she has trained successors. If something does happen to her, the Legion will go on. Alex did the same."

"Smart." Maxwell nodded slowly. "So, what do you want from us?" He asked.

"Some extra security would not go amiss." Oprisa replied. "I have limits just like anyone."

"You would _trust_ them?" Carter demanded, only to have Maxwell and Oprisa laugh at him. He flushed. "Never mind."

"She doesn't trust _anyone_ , Carter." Maxwell said with a nod. "Least of all people that the president can order about."

"It is not paranoia when they are all out to get us." Oprisa replied. "So, Agent Maxwell?" The CIA agent winced but then nodded.

"I will see what I can do..." The man said a bit dubiously. "How long do we have?" Oprisa looked at him and then at her chrono. He blanched. "No..."

"Seventy two hours, eighteen minutes, twelve seconds until they start broadcasting. They will sit well beyond the orbit of the Earth's moon to do that. They are not stupid and they have escorts." Oprisa snorted. "Maggie wasn't stupid when she set up the protocol, even when she prayed she would never need it."

"She never wanted to come back." Carter's face softened.

"After what happened when she was done with her Grandmother's funeral, would _you?_ "


	10. Chapter 10

**Memories**

Sara was still counting when it happened. She was pulled out of her meditation, but it wasn't hostile. Far from it. She was suddenly surrounded by warmth and sadness. She couldn't see anything, but she could smell her mom. She still lay on the flat, featureless plain that psis used as a reference point to focus their minds.

Maggie was crying.

"Mom?" Sara called out cautiously. This wasn't anything that she had ever encountered in her training. This wasn't her mother's mind. Was it? Nothing changed and Sara fought back a sigh. She reached out with a slow, careful tendril of her mental energy to probe her surroundings. What she found did not really surprise her. She was still asleep. So, this was a dream or a vision. She tried to wake up and was only partially surprised when it didn't work. A vision then and she was stuck in it for whatever reason until it ended. Trying to break free of visions had cost many precogs their sanity in the histories that Sara and studied. She had to let it play out and she dreaded what she would see.

"Joy." Sara focused herself and sought the crying. Her mom wasn't really there. The feeling was not her mother's mind, as shuttered as it had been most of her life. But it was…

Sara gasped as the world around her changed. She forced herself to relax as white walls and a gray ceiling formed around her. A chair and a table materialized in the middle of the room and Sara went totally still as Maggie Rogan appeared in the chair, her head bowed and her hands clenched tightly together on the table. No! They were _handcuffed_ to it! She was crying. She wore dark brown shorts and a nice white polo shirt, but… _What_ was on her leg? Sara went totally still as she saw her mom's left leg strapped to the chair and a small bandage on the inside of that thigh. A tube of some kind came from the bandage and went under the table.

"What the-?" Sara inhaled. "This… no." She shook her head and went even more still as two humans in matching black suits entered the room through a door that simply formed on one wall. Both were Caucasian and anywhere else would be thoroughly unremarkable. The only thing that made them remarkable at all was their hair, both had military haircuts. "Oh, you have got to be kidding." Sara groaned. "MIB? No."

"Back with us, Miss Gordon?" The taller of the two men asked quietly.

"It is 'Mrs.', asshole. Mrs. Rogan." Maggie wiggled her ringed finger as she spoke through gritted teeth, but her voice was slurred. What was going on? Sara stared around, confused. When was this? She had seen that outfit once. She knew that. But when? Sara wracked her brain and then went totally still as realization -and horror!- dawned.

"No." Sara said weakly. "That is the outfit Mom wore after Granny's funeral. When Dad went to get things squared away. She was so tired they let her sleep at the funeral home!" A glance at the door and it was open just a little. An unremarkable hallway showed another room where a coffin lay open and empty. "I was..." Sara was crying softly as the men stepped to the table. "Mom! No!"

Was this real? Had this happened to her mom? If so, why hadn't anyone ever said anything?

"We do not have a lot of time, but we will not harm you, Miss Gordon." The taller man said with a nod to the smaller who touched the table. Maggie stiffened and then slumped. "We just want to talk."

"It is ' _Mrs_.'." Maggie was slurring worse now and Sara fought to keep from reaching for her. It wouldn't help and might disrupt the vision. That was usually bad. "You drugged me."

"Yes, we put a sedative in your drink and we are giving you something now to keep you calm and relaxed." The taller man said with a nod. "We won't hurt you. We just need a few answers. You will sleep for several hours after this and not remember it."

"You have no idea what you are doing." Maggie said slowly. "None."

"There are no records of you being married anywhere on this planet." The smaller man said with a glower. "Miss." He said with a grin. The grin faltered a little as Maggie's eyes landed on him.

"You are not government. _Any_ government." Maggie said slowly. "They would know better."

"Where have you been for the last nine years, Miss Gordon?" The taller one said with a glower at his colleague who shrugged.

"No comment." Maggie sat back in her chair, her eyes on the two men who looked at one another.

"Miss Gordon, this doesn't have to be hard." The taller man said with a sigh. Maggie shook her head and the man slumped a bit. "Fine. Up the dose."

Sara held her breath as the smaller human went to the table and touched something. Maggie stiffened and then her head lolled back a little before jerking upright. Sara smirked as both men stared at Maggie in shock. Psi's could filter their blood at will, so most drugs had little chance of working. Maggie wasn't a full time psi, but she was well trained, not that she had ever let Sara know until recently.

"So now the rough stuff?" Maggie asked with a sound that was more growl than sigh.

"We don't want to hurt you." The taller man said with a grunt as the smaller one stared at the table, at the bag on the table. "But we will if we have to."

"Yeah." Maggie heaved a sigh of her own. "So… what corporation decided that they had to have this intelligence?" The men did not react and Maggie laughed. "This is way too sophisticated for most drug cartels. Maybe black ops, but even then, they have rules. You are not CIA or FBI or any other alphabet agency working for the US government. Even if you were? I have nothing for you."

"We know you left Earth, Miss Gordon." The taller man stepped to the table as the smaller one started laying items out on it. Sara blanched as she saw a syringe and a drug vial. "We want to know where you have been and how to contact whoever you were with."

"No, you don't." Maggie said flatly. Her eyes flitted to the syringe and then to the smaller man who was filling it carefully now. "The only thing you need to know is _this_ : If you try to inject me with that, both of you are dead."

"This won't hurt you." The smaller man actually leered. "It will make you feel very good." He tapped the syringe and a little of whatever was in it squirted up. Maggie did not react as the taller man took hold of her left arm and the smaller man stepped closer, readying the needle. "This is your last chance to talk, sweetheart."

"No." Maggie replied evenly as the man pressed the tip of the needle to her skin. "It was yours."

Sara's eyes went huge as Maggie's hands were suddenly free. She twisted out of the grip that held her arm and slammed herself backwards as energy flared from the doorway. Neither man had a chance to react as _Oprisa_ gunned them both down. She wasn't using a stun weapon and the beams left neat little cauterized holes in each man's chest. Both fell with identical looks of consternation that faded as their lives did.

"Maggie!" Oprisa stepped in, her weapon ready, but neither man was going to get up again. Ever.

"I am okay. Never thought that telekinesis trick would work on handcuffs, but I am glad you taught it to me." Maggie was extricating herself from the chair, but paused as Oprisa knelt down beside her. "Sara?" She pleaded as she unstrapped her leg.

"Sara is fine." The alien psi reassured Maggie. "She is with Alex's mom and brother. The security there reports no intrusions." She carefully pulled back the bandage and slid the tube out of Maggie's leg. She tied the tube up and shook her head. "We better take this for analysis. This is not something I have seen before."

"Did you get anything from them?" Maggie asked as Oprisa laid her out on the floor gently. Oprisa favored her with a long look and Maggie made a face. "Sorry. Didn't mean to insult you. It has been a bad day." She was crying again.

"I know, Maggie. I know." Oprisa sighed as she finished rolling the tube and bag up and slid them into a concealed pocket. "But to answer your question, yes. You were right. They are specialists in corporate espionage. This..." She toed the syringe and then started searching the smaller man's body. "This is heroin. Nearly pure." Maggie blanched and Oprisa nodded. "You would have survived even that but it would have messed you up badly and you would have needed hospitalization time even with your abilities."

She found what she sought and laid the syringe in a small case that seemed made for it, needle and all. She pocketed the case after checking it for trackers. The extraterrestrial spy rose and nodded to Maggie.

"They were going to kill me either way, weren't they?" Maggie asked as she stood up carefully. She was shivering and Oprisa laid a hand on her arm.

"Probably. It wouldn't be the first time someone overdosed on something after a funeral." Oprisa 's eyes were far away but then she shook herself and gave Maggie's arm a squeeze. "Let's get you home."

"Back to base. I don't _ever_ want to come back here." Maggie said weakly as Oprisa helped her walk. "I don't. I belong with Alex. With you. With everyone else. Not these barbarians." She glanced back at the two dead men. "And them?" She stilled as two forms that ware far too blurred to be normal eased by her and the psi in the hall. They had to be wearing League holo cloaking devices. Those wouldn't hide someone in plain sight, but they _would_ keep anyone from realizing that the beings were not human. "They just vanish?"

"We will do a full workup and get you any intell we receive from the bodies." Oprisa promised. "But that is our concern. For now? Focus on your breathing. Whatever they dosed you with was potent."

Sara followed, her mind whirling in this vision. What the hell? Her mom had been interrogated by some kind of corporate goons and Oprisa had killed them? Sara had only been nine and she had been very distracted, but to hide this?

"How long was I out?" Maggie asked as they staggered outside and the California sun was bright.

But Sara was frozen, she couldn't move as the pair faded from the vision. Sara spun and stared back into the room where the two blurred forms were working on the dead humans. She couldn't see their faces, but she could feel… She hissed as one felt _wrong_ to her. She bit back a scream as the wrong one shot the other and then started speaking.

"My Lord Xur. We have an opportunity." Sara felt her blood boil as the vision faded.

"Sara!" Oprisa was at her side as Sara found herself lying back on the featureless surface that as her mind. "Are you all right?"

"I just saw mom after the funeral, Oprisa." Sara said quietly. The spy froze as Sara nodded. "I saw you rescue her. I never knew."

"She was shaken up but not hurt. You were busy and we kept you distracted." Oprisa's words were not an excuse, simply fact. "You didn't need to know."

"The agents you sent to clean up the mess." Sara said slowly. "You lost them right after, right?" Oprisa stared at her and then nodded slowly. "One was a Xurian. I bet I would remember the voice."

"What?" Oprisa's eyes took on a faraway cast and then she shook her head. "Sara, both were vetted and cleared."

"Oprisa, I saw one shoot the other and then… Ah hell, see what I did." Sara held out her hand to the older psi and Oprisa's mind eased into Sara's. Her mentor was quick and careful but then Oprisa's eyes turned hard and flinty.

"Damn." Oprisa blew out a deep breath. "We wondered how they had caught Sixteen." Sara inhaled and Oprisa nodded. The master spy only known as Sixteen had been caught by Xur and executed on live holo vid to demoralize the League. "We have support organizations, Sara. You know this. They help us out, we help them out. Sixteen was good. Very good." Sara nodded, against her will. The League's telepaths did not have enough personnel to be everywhere and do everything.

"Do you know the voice?" Sara asked. Oprisa shook her head. "Damn."

"Yeah." Oprisa sighed. "I bet that is how they got their hooks on this planet. Take the place of a goon and work the way up the ladder."

"Did you ever find out who they were?" Sara asked. Oprisa made a face and Sara held up her hands. "Hey, I am just asking. They would have hurt or killed my mom if she hadn't been a psi."

"Vengeance doesn't help anyone, Sara and in this case, it would be pointless since the IDs were fake." Oprisa's voice was calm, but her mind was worried. "For what it is worth, their credentials said they worked for Microsoft, but they were based out of Calcutta." Sara stared at her, confused and Oprisa smiled. "That is a common telephone scam, someone calls from a phone that registers as being in Calcutta saying they work for Microsoft. They try to get gullible people to give out private information. They tried it with me once, actually. One of my cover identities." Sara's eyes went huge and Oprisa chuckled. It was not a nice laugh. "I didn't kill any of them."

"What did you do then?" Sara asked.

"I traced them via their minds, instead of via their multiple tricks and traps they had set up on the phone lines." Oprisa shrugged. "Once I knew where they were and verified it? I sold the information online. Made a lot of money too." Sara felt her jaw drop and Oprisa nodded. "Yeah, they had angered a _lot_ of people. That won't stop the scams. People like that always have to try for the big score and it is always fair to steal anything you want as long as you don't get caught. Problem was, they did it to some people they really shouldn't have."

"Like you." Sara smiled but it fell as Oprisa shook her head. "Who then?"

"Let's just say I have some very odd friends." Oprisa heaved a sigh. "You will meet two of them tomorrow. I asked for more security and my contact had to go _far_ outside his normal channels to get it." She shook her head. "One thing I will say, they have no love for governments and _less_ for terrorists. They are not what either of us would call civilized, but they know the threat. Xur has acted on this planet several times, but we didn't know he had a full network here. Now we do and that is information lots of people will be acting on shortly."

"You think he is here?" Sara asked quietly. Oprisa thought about that and then shook her head.

"Xur likes his luxuries." Oprisa replied. "This planet would be roughing it for him. He _could_ be here." She mused. "But hiding here would be very hard for someone like that."

"Good." Sara relaxed a little. "As bad as Earth is, the thought of Xur mucking it up worse would be bad."

"Well, he could make our live easier by appearing to some fringe nutcase who shoots him." Oprisa said with a grin. Sara glared at he and the spy shrugged. "Hey! I can dream."

"So, what is the plan?" Sara asked as she focused her mind again without prompting. Oprisa smiled at her and nodded.

"We have a meeting tomorrow with several interests." Oprisa touched Sara's skull and Sara could feel the other psi checking her out. "Your mom will stay with your grandmother and uncle. I cannot meet them at the trailer park, but I do not want you out of my sight. So, basically, you are my shadow. You stay behind me and stay quiet. The places we will go won't be very nice, but you will be safe with me."

"Will mom be safe?" Sara asked, trying to keep the worry from her mind.

"The trailer park is the safest place on this _planet_ right now, Sara." Oprisa said with a smile. "When the FBI, CIA, NSA and every other intelligence and security agency in the _world_ decide that it is to be safe? It _is._ "

"Mom and grandma will notice." Sara protested.

"There is no one _at_ the park, Sara." Oprisa reassured her. "But the surrounding areas will start looking fairly crowded soon. At least I talked the Russians out of sending a Spetsnaz team. _That_ would have been a mess. We may have a lot of tourists through in the near future though."

"Armed ones?" Sara asked as her mind slowly eased.

"No comment."

"Mom is not stupid and neither is grandma." Sara said after a long moment of relaxing. "And _someone_ will see."

"It only needs to hold for three more says, Sara." Oprisa said kindly. "Until then, _relax_ , agent. We have this under control."

"Famous last words..." Sara said through the haze of bliss that was now seeping through her mind.

"Nah. Those would be 'Hey y'all, watch this!' or 'Check this out!'" Oprisa was massaging Sara's skull even as her mind fuzzed. "Or the ever funny 'Oops'."

"You are weird, Oprisa." Sara managed to get out before her mind went blank. That was the only way she was going to get any rest with her visions already coming so strongly.

"As you humans say...Duh."


	11. Chapter 11

**Lines**

Sara let Oprisa lead gladly. She wouldn't have come to this section of this city for any amount of money if Oprisa hadn't insisted. San Francisco was a big city and dense. It was huge, filled with chaotic human minds and it stank worse than any airport ever could. She kept her back straight and her face calm even as the scantily clad women -and one man- who lined both sides of the dirty side street propositioned both of them. But it was the feelings that came from the prostitutes that made her want to cry. So many negative emotions. Oprisa glanced at her and Sara frowned a little. She shook her head. She would manage. The drug Oprisa had given her this morning was strong, but they didn't want to stay out here for too long for any number of reasons, Sara's sanity was only the greatest concern. There were others. Their clothes were not too out of place here, not too rich, not too poor. But their general hygiene and the fact that all of Oprisa's and Sara's clothing was _clean_ made a hell of a difference.

The crowd thinned out as Oprisa stepped towards a doorway in the distance. Most of the people lining the street saw where they were going and immediately shut up but a few die-hards continued to proposition them even as Oprisa approached the door and a man stepped out of the shadows to block her way. He did not look like a bouncer. He wore a well fitted suit instead of club uniform and was that a bulge under his right arm? He was big and mean looking. If Oprisa hadn't been there, Sara would have taken one look and _run_ the other way.

"Club is closed." The man folded his arms and glowered at the pair of females.

"You are new." Oprisa said mildly. If anything, the man's glower got harder. "I need to talk to Mr. Johns. Tell him Miss Jenny is here to catch up on old times."

"I don't know what you are talking about." The man snapped. "Get lost."

"Tell me Ceriana has learned some discretion about clicking on errant websites." Oprisa said mildly. The man froze at her. "After the last time, I wondered if Mr Johns _did_ tan her bottom. She should have learned from the Nigerian prince scam." Sara stared at Oprisa who shrugged. "Girl is smart, but has no common sense. If it _seems_ too good to be true, it usually _is_. She is the only person I have ever met who has fallen for _that_ one." Sara shook her head as the man slowly nodded.

"That was you?" The man asked slowly.

"This is _not_ the place to have that discussion." Oprisa warned with a glower of her own. The man tensed and then nodded. "I don't have an appointment, but please ask Mr Johns if he can see me. It is fairly important."

The man visibly pondered that and then nodded. He tapped a barely visible button beside the door and it opened. A very pretty Asian looking woman wearing a green dress that probably cost more than the entire street stepped into view, her face thunderous, but it changed instantly on seeing Oprisa.

" _Jenny!_ " The woman exclaimed with a wide smile. "Come in, come in! This is no place to talk. Mark, let the others know Jenny is here." The man nodded and stepped aside. She looked at Sara as Oprisa led her into the building. "Who is this?"

"Karen, this is my apprentice Sara. She doesn't talk much." Oprisa said as the door shut behind the trio. "Sara, this is Karen."

Sara noted that no one used family names. Was that intentional? Oprisa nodded just a fraction and Sara understood. No one would know the truth about anyone else here. This place wasn't a legal establishment. What was Oprisa getting her into? Did the elder psi just wink at her? Sara fought hard to keep up as Karen led the way into what looked for all the world like a fairly classy hotel. What was it doing here? In _this_ section of the city?

"Pleased to meet you, Sara." Karen said with smile as she walked. "Us girls have it stick together." She leered at Sara who did not react. Karen frowned. "Oh no. Not _another_ sour puss." She mock glowered at Oprisa. " _You_ are bad enough, Miss Cold Fish. Do you _have_ to keep all the pretty and smart ones to yourself?"

"You know what he would do if he or any of his caught you with an unwilling girl." Oprisa was still calm. "Besides, she is not ready for that kind of education yet."

"Pity. This one is cute." Karen reached out to touch Sara's arm, but Oprisa batted her hand away. "Hey!"

"I told Sara she would be safe here, Karen." Oprisa did not raise her voice, did not react at all even as they continued to walk through rich décor. But the Asian woman tensed anyway. "Did I lie?"

"No." Karen was suddenly different. Older, harder, colder. "But he will want to know if she can be trusted."

"She is Alex Rogan's _daughter_ , Karen. You tell me." Oprisa said softly and Karen froze in mid-step.

"You-" The woman seemed at a loss for words for a moment as she stared at Sara. Then she nodded and her entire demeanor changed to one of respect. "I see." She turned to Sara and made a hand gesture that seemed stilted, formal. "Sara Rogan, your life is safe here. Few outside these halls know what your dad did, but _we_ do." Sara fought to keep from reacting and Karen smiled at her. "Good girl. You are training her well, Jenny."

"I try." Oprisa winked at Sara who still fought not to react. "She is a bit of a pain though." Despite Sara's best efforts, a squeak of protest seeped past her defenses. No one commented.

"Of course she is, if you are training her." Karen said with a grin. "It is the job of a student to make the teacher's life miserable. Then again, my own teachers said I was a pain."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Oprisa grinned at Karen and the human returned it. "Any news you can share?"

"One of the boys who came in this week is not what he seems." Karen said quietly. Oprisa stiffened and the human nodded. "He is not a cop or government agent, not from anywhere we can fathom. He seems South American, but we have no idea from where. All we get from him is angry Spanish." Oprisa looked at her and Karen shrugged. "Hey. I know Spanish, but his accent is not one I know offhand."

"And?" Oprisa asked.

"And it is _weird_." Karen complained. "He came in with the shipment, but he was not on the manifest and he was bound. He would have died in the container and no one would have known until it opened. If our guys hadn't opened it first to get our parcels out, who knows how long he might have sat in there?"

"Trap?" Oprisa asked mildly. Karen shrugged again.

"I don't know, to be honest." The human said with a small frown. "You are far better at sensing such things like that than I am." Sara froze and Karen smiled at her. _You are not alone, Sara Rogan._ The human sent into Sara's mind.

"Wha-?" The sheer shock of a _human_ sending a telepathic message into her mind had Sara recoiling. She fought to keep her equilibrium. She failed and her mind immediately started roiling. That was bad, very bad. She fought to control her mind but it wouldn't be controlled. Oprisa was at her side in an instant, glaring at Karen who winced.

"Don't do that to another without permission! She is stressed beyond anything you can imagine." Oprisa snapped as she took hold of Sara's arm. "Sara. Sara. It is okay. Be calm. It is all right. You are safe." Sara stared at Oprisa her mind whirling in so many ways, she couldn't articulate anything. "Damn, come on, Sara. I taught you better than this! _Focus_ , girl."

"What did I do?" Karen said weakly. "I..."

"Karen." A quiet, but totally in charge voice had all three of them turning to see a small gray haired man standing in the hallway. He too was Asian in appearance, but the garb he wore was anything but Asian. Sara had to look away from the ghastly purple and blue Hawaiian shirt he wore. At least his slacks were easy to look at.

"Sifu." Karen bowed gracefully to him and then to Sara. "I have harmed a guest. I have no excuse. I apologize for the disrespect, Sara."

"Go." The man said flatly. "We will talk later. For now? See if you can get our mystery man to eat." Karen winced again but nodded and took off at a quick walk. "What can I do?" He asked Oprisa.

"We need her quiet and warm." Oprisa did something and Sara felt a rush of energy though her. It pulled her away from herself for a moment and let her focus. Sara immediately started reforming the mental blocks that had shattered. "Good girl, Sara."

"I am sorry." Sara managed to gasp as she forced her unruly mind back into its boundaries. "I am sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Sara." Oprisa gave her arm a squeeze. "I didn't intend you to find out the truth of this place _that_ way." Sara took three more deep breaths and then relaxed.

"Thought this was a..." Sara broke off, looking at the elder human who smiled at her.

"A brothel?" The man's eyes twinkled. Sara stared at him, wide eyed and he shook his head. "My apologies, Sara Rogan. I know your name, but you do not know mine. My name is Johns. Johns Lee Corrn. I help run this place."

"I didn't think humans..." Sara broke off again, unsure of what to say or how.

"Sara." Oprisa gave her a gentle shake. "You have the power. Your mother has the power. Statistically speaking, it stands to reason that other humans would too, no?"

"But..." Sara felt whatever was holding her mind apart slowly ease her back and she tensed, but relaxed when her mind did as she wished. "That was no fun at all." She hated the whine that entered her tone, but she couldn't keep it out.

"No." Johns replied sadly. "Such is not fun for me and I am nowhere near your level of power. We have a room ready for you."

"What?" Sara stared from him to Oprisa. "But… What is going on, Oprisa?"

"Welcome to Star League Intelligence safehouse 384-E, Sara Rogan." Johns said with a smile as he held out a hand. Sara stared at it and then at Oprisa who nodded and took her left hand. Sara took the man's hand in her right and immediately felt better as her mind was eased by the other's gentle touch. _You need help, girl. Can you walk?_ The man sent and his mind held fear for her. Sara nodded and bowed her head.

"Any trouble?" Oprisa asked as Sara let them pull her to her feet. She wobbled a little, but she stayed on her feet.

"A bit here and there." Johns said with a grunt. "Some of my old associates still think I am running a brothel and don't take 'No' for an answer when they arrive. We have had to get creative on occasion." Sara stared at him and he smiled a bit sadly. "To answer the question I can sense in your mind, sister. I was a criminal, Sara. I ran a brothel for one of the organized crime groups that run things in this city."

"Should you be telling me this?" Sara gasped out as she was led to a wall that opened into a door. A door that opened far faster than any human door should have.

"Maybe not." Johns admitted. "But everyone here has been vetted and understands the situation. The actual situation as opposed to the polite fictions we all have to put in place to survive in society. Nothing I do now is illegal, Sara." Oprisa coughed and he smiled at her. "Well, not illegal in the _League_."

"The League doesn't generally care as long as you don't act against it." Oprisa replied, her hand now on Sara's elbow as Sara staggered but caught herself. "Easy girl You are recoiling. Hold it." Sara fought her unruly mind back into its normal patterns and the elder psi nodded. "Good."

"The matron is ready for her." Johns said quietly as they passed a room where a number of people of all races and genders were working at terminals that wouldn't have been out of place at any League facility. None of them looked up as the trio passed, but Sara could feel several mind probes sent their way that Oprisa and the man holding Sara rebuffed. "Don't push her. We will have a chance to talk to Sara talk later." Johns said in a mild tone that somehow conveyed disapproval and more than one head bent to their tasks with industry.

"Do I need to know this, Oprisa?" Sara gasped as the pair took more of her weight on themselves. A door opened ahead of them.

 _Yes._ A gentle tone rang into Sara's mind, but this time, it was soothing, comforting. She knew that voice! _Come in, child. Rest. You need to rest._

Sara jerked to a halt at the door. The others let her stare. The room beyond the door was a horror. Most of it was coated with silky white webbing. A lump sat on the floor and a horrific looking form was easing itself down from the ceiling. It had eight legs and was almost as tall as Sara was.

" _Matron_ _?_ " Sara managed to say as Lieutenant Juol slowly stepped towards her.

"You know gender is fairly irrelevant for my kind, Sara." The spider said with a wicked laugh. She did. Joul's species reproduced very different from anything that Earth had ever seen. Sara smiled at her superior and then slumped. Johns gave her hand squeeze and released her to retreat a step. "It helps some to see me as a mother figure. All kinds come through here. Come on, girl. You need to rest."

"I am afraid of what I am going to dream." Sara said weakly.

"There is too much to do now for you to sleep, Sara." Joul said sadly as he took her hand from Oprisa. She let herself be led to the lump on the floor which resolved into a web covered couch. "But ease, we can and will give you. Lie down. You won't sleep, but you will feel better."

"I know." Sara sat as she had so many times. The webbing gave underneath her. It wasn't sticky or anything. Indeed, it felt like like silk. Stood to reason. It was. She lay back and closed her eyes and she felt webbing start to wrap around her skull. Joul's species could excrete all kinds of silk and this wrapping dulled the mental pressure on Sara and she relaxed for the first time since arriving in the human city. "I really wish I could wear this all the time. I know I can't or it will cause problems, but I can wish." Sara said with a grateful groan. "Thank you."

"You are very welcome, Sara." Joul sighed in matching relief. "This is not fun for _any_ of us."

"No." Oprisa and Johns chorused. They eyed each other and smiled but let Joul speak as Sara closed her eyes in contentment.

"You have questions, Sara. You may relax now. I have you." The spider said quietly as pressure sank Sara into the couch. She knew the spider was sitting beside her. If it was like the other bad times Sara remembered, two arms were now surrounding her and it felt good, comforting. She was warm and safe. She supposed some might find it odd to feel that way. She didn't care.

She released the holds she had clamped on her mind and it did not fly crazy. Instead, it seemed to curl up and maybe it started to purr? It always felt that way when she was in one of Joul's sessions.

"We have other safehouses on this planet." Sara's words were not a question and she felt a mental chuckle from the spider. "I do not need to know where they are and it is better I do not. So, this place..." She cracked her eyes and saw Oprisa and Johns standing by the door. "Oprisa recruited you?" She asked Johns who made a face.

"One way to put it." The human said sourly as Oprisa chuckled."Laugh it up, Jenny. That was a hell of shock."

"Did you good." Oprisa smirked at him as he mock swatted at her. "But yes, that was essentially what I did. He didn't know he was a psi."

"I was good at managing my workers." Johns's face held old shame now. "I didn't know why, but I could keep them in line without resorting to violence." Sara jerked and he shook his head. "No. Nothing like that. Mind control doesn't really work anyway no matter how hard some _try_. I had a 'feel' for their moods, for their needs. I made sure they stayed healthy and happy. Simple as that. Happy workers are productive workers no matter the industry."

"And Oprisa threw a spanner into the works." Sara said with a sly smile, Johns laughed and nodded.

"We knew you and your mom couldn't possibly be the only psis on Earth, Sara." Joul said evenly from where the spider sat. "So, we came looking. We found some."

"And made a mess." Johns crossed his arms with a glower, but a smile was peeking through his stern visage.

"Tell me you are not better off now." Oprisa said with a laugh. "Tell me your boys and girls are not better off now." She made a face. "And _please_ tell me Ceriana is not one of the web analysts!"

"Ah _no_." Johns made a matching face. "She is good with people, but she has the sense of a _plant_ about other things."

"Who is Ceriana?" Sara asked.

"You will meet her." Oprisa smiled.

"And you will _really_ enjoy it."


	12. Chapter 12

**Needs**

Sara was, in a word, bemused.

She had taken an hour to calm herself and focus her mind. Then Johns had brought her a meal and she had eaten carefully. After such an episode, her stomach was touchy to say the least. But apparently, the people here understood that, because the meal was both tasty and easy to digest. Then Oprisa had led her into this room where she knelt and meditated again while Oprisa and Johns did whatever they had to do. Now, her meditation was done, but she was still alone. She knew better than to wander about aimlessly though and-

"Hello." A quiet voice brought Sara out of her musing and she looked up to see a young looking black woman smiling at her. "Sara? I is Ceriana."

Sara wasn't sure if she should talk, so she settled for a nod. There was something off about the woman. It wasn't anything Sara could define and it wasn't anything bad. Nothing hostile. She just looked a little off and Sara wasn't about to open her mind.

"Jenny saids you need relaxin'." The woman had an incredibly deep Southern accent. It was almost another language entirely. "Come." She held out a hand and Sara looked at it. She couldn't trust. Ceriana nodded a little and her eyes unfocused. Sara's eyes went huge as she heard the woman speak in her mind, but not to her! _Miss Jenny? She_ _be_ _awake, but she don't know me. She_ _a_ _in't going to trust._

 _Right._ Oprisa's mind was firm as it focused on Sara. _Sara? Ceriana is a good soul as long as you don't let her near the internet._

"Hey!" Ceriana protested.

 _We know better, Ceriana._ Oprisa said sourly. _Sara? You okay?_

 _Better._ Sara allowed. _I am still a bit shaky, but better._

"Right." Oprisa's voice came from the door as the spy came in, her face creased in a frown that vanished as she saw Sara awake and aware. "Ceriana? Sara needs some pampering. She has had several bad days in a row."

"I can feels your pain and fear, girl." Ceriana said sadly. "Me telepathy be low end, but me empathy be going strong." She paused as Sara bowed her head. "What happen?" Her tone was oddly childlike now.

Sara looked at Oprisa who nodded slightly.

"My dad disappeared." Sara said quietly. "I saw it happen. He didn't die, but he is gone." Ceriana stiffened and Sara nodded. "According to everyone, it was precognition. I saw it happen just before it happened."

"But…" Ceriana's face fell. "Oh no." She shook her head. "No. Not dat."

"Yeah." Sara's voice was tiny. She was stunned when Ceriana knelt down beside her and gathered her up in warm arms. It felt… The woman felt open, warm and caring. Sara felt her own mind ease from the contact. The black woman wasn't as young as she looked and she felt oddly jangled to Sara. But it did not detract from the feelings of comfort that she was projecting.

"Miss Jenny and de others, dey tolds us a lot." Ceriana held Sara, her eyes glistening. "I was a prostitute and dey gave me whole new world. I ain't ever gonna be a whole woman, but dis I can do." She gave Sara a squeeze. "You needs to relax and I gots ya."

"You look whole to me." Sara slowly reached up and laid her own arms around the other woman, returning the embrace gratefully.

"I is slow, Sara." Ceriana said quietly. "Always have been, always will be. Me mind don't work quite right. Never has. Never hads a chance at a job until I falls into the business." She shook her head. "Wasn't dat bad, all told. Never gots into drugs and Johns took care of me. Could'sve been a lots worse."

"Someone had to keep you out of trouble." Oprisa's tone was severe, but also oddly gentle and mocking as odd as that was. "Come on, Sara, up you get. We have work to do."

"What do we need to do?" Sara asked as Ceriana rose and helped her to her feet.

"I need to talk to the guy they found in the latest shipment-" She paused as Sara looked at her. The spy sighed. "Yes, Sara. They import people. The organized crime groups do it anyway. These agents simply add a few here and there. People who desperately need to get out of wherever they are and need a new life."

"We gets all kinds." Ceriana had Sara's hands in her own as she pulled Sara towards the door. "I never knew my own folks, but some of dem..." She shuddered. "Some of dem come from places where people think powers of the mind come from da devil. If dey lucky, dey only get beaten to drive da demons out. If dey not? De get burnt at da stake."

"Really? Even _today_?" Sara inhaled sharply. Ceriana and Oprisa nodded. "And the League wants to open negotiations?"

"Dat be crazy." Ceriana said flatly. "Da Earth ain't ready. No way. No sir. Ain't gonna end well."

"I know." Oprisa sighed. "Sara knows. Maggie knows. But the League is scared, Ceriana. The Legion mounts a defense, but it is only a defense."

"Even I know dat not work." Ceriana pulled Sara into another room, a smaller one that looked like and locker room. "Strip." She said to Sara who froze. "Come on, girl, don't be shy. Strip." Sara's eyes went huge as Oprisa _left the room!_ Ceriana shook her head. "Ain't gonna hurts ya. But it be hotter than New Orleans in summer in da sauna. Ya needs to be bare skin."

She started disrobing right there and Sara after a moment did the same. She had been in saunas before. Ceriana was calm as she finished, but then again, if she had been a prostitute, then she couldn't have been body shy for long. She turned and pulled a towel out of a locker, handing it to Sara without looking. Sara held it in front of herself as Ceriana pulled another out and snapped it around herself strangely. But it stayed up when she let go.

"I ain't your type." Ceriana said as she turned. Sara held the towel defensively and Ceriana clucked at her. "No, no, dat will never do. Wrap it around, like dis." She indicated her own. Sara shook her head and Ceriana sighed. "Girl, ya ain't got nothing I ain't seen. I ain't gonna hurt ya. I ain't gonna touch ya without ya permission. But you needs dis. You needs dis _bad_."

She slowly reached out to take the towel from Sara. Sara gave a squeak, but Ceriana simply wrapped the towel around her. It was long enough to cover her from just below the neck to mid thigh. She stared as Ceriana did something and the towel stayed up when the other human released it. She hadn't actually _touched_ Sara the whole time!

"How?" Sara asked, dumbfounded.

"We has our tricks." Ceriana said smugly at Sara's look of shock. "Me specialty is massage, Sara. I can gets ya relaxed and keeps ya relaxed. But it gots to be ya choice. It _surely_ ain't mine."

"If I relax, I will see." Sara said weakly. "I don't want to see. I can't... I can't."

"Ya's can't stop dat, girl." Ceriana said gently. "Ya know dat is what is hurting ya. Right?"

Sara wilted. She knew that denying the visions only caused worse things to happen. That had been clear in every text she had ever read about precognition. But she didn't want to see. She didn't!

"I needs ya permission, Sara." Ceriana was still quiet. "Ya a sister and ya hurtin, but I cannot just do. Not now. Once, I would've and to hell with the consequences, but I grown up a bit. Please, sister. Let me help ya."

"I am afraid." Sara said in a very small voice.

"I know." Ceriana said gently. "Had a friend, she have the curse too. Ain't no gift at all, dat nastiness." Sara's eyes shot up and Ceriana nodded. "She… She know her last trick was gonna kill her. She took him anyway." She looked at the wall, but her eyes were far away. "Because if she not, he take _me_." She slumped a bit. "She was nuts, Julia was. But she know I not take that guy and survive. She take him instead and the cops find her a day later floating in the canal. She left a note, explained. She say I needs to survive. I dunno why. Not until now. I helped her. I cans help you."

"I am sorry." Sara said weakly.

"Julia was pure crazy." Ceriana was crying softly now. "But she a good friend. Until Jenny come, I didn't think bout how I make people happy. I made Julia happy, Sara. I can do it for you. Nothin' bad, or wrong. Just easin' things that need it. Dat is all."

She held out a hand to Sara who stared at it for a long moment before calling out to Oprisa with her mind. The psi did not answer and Sara had her answer. This was her choice, not Oprisa's.

"I knew it wouldn't be fun." Sara said weakly. "But I never imagined this!"

"I know." Ceriana held out her hands and Sara took them gingerly. Then Sara was crying as Ceriana held her. "Dis gonna be bad. You are gonna see and it gonna hurt. Bad. Ain't nothing gonna stop that. We gots two empaths ready to read while you do, so you don't gotta worry bout remembering any of it. All you gotta do is survive it."

"For how long, Ceriana?" Sara begged. "The longest any League precog has survived has been three years!"

"Ya is wrong." Ceriana gave Sara a squeeze. "Julia was one of dem for _ten_ years." Sara stared at the other human through tear streaked eyes and Ceriana nodded. "It ain't gonna be fun, but one reason we set this place up was for people like you. People who have to deal with horrible stuff. Who have to go on because there ain't any other way. Your mom and dad love you. Dey both fighters. Are you?"

"I don't know." Sara said weakly.

"Well, let's find out." Ceriana pulled Sara into a darker room. She helped Sara up onto a table that was padded and laid the girl out straight. For a long moment, nothing happened and then Sara gasped as strong fingers touched her bare feet, probing, pushing, kneading the sore muscles there. She felt something pushing beyond the fingertips. Some kind of telekinesis? She bit back a scream as her muscles protested, but then…

 **Greeting Starfighter! You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the Frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada!**

Sara fought to stay calm as images flooded through her brain. Too many to catch and hold. It was like trying to hold back a tide. It wasn't possible so she didn't bother to try. She simply rode the images as if on an imaginary surfboard.

 _Good girl._ Ceriana's voice came from far, far away. _Don't hold any. Just let 'em go._

 _Dad…_ Sara whimpered as she saw her father beat Centari's teat game, meet Centari and then arrive on Rylos for the first time. He had been younger than she was! She saw his return to Earth, his near death at the hands of the assassin sent by Xur and then…

Sara went totally still as something changed.

 _ **SARA!**_ The scream was her father! It was coming from far away, but Sara would know his voice anywhere. But… he wasn't a psi. So, what the hell? She didn't care.

 _DAD!_ Sara screamed right back and then she screamed again as all hell broke loose in her mind. She could hear cursing from nearby even as pain ebbed and flowed through her mind.

 _Sara! Let go of the vision!_ Ceriana said sharply. _Let it go, girl! Dat energy will kill you if you_ _holds_ _it._ _ **Let go**_ _!_

 _It is not a vision!_ Sara retorted. _I can hear him screaming my name! I have to help him! I have to!_

 _SARA!_ Alex Rogan's voice was weaker.

Sara snarled and focused her mind like never before. Then she was moving in ways she knew she was never going to be able to describe. She saw a circle of light, all different colors surrounding her as she flew through the circle and then, she was elsewhere. She stood in a very familiar place. She was standing in between the Gunnery Chair and the Navi-Monitor Chair of a gunstar! And not just _any_ gunstar!

"Sara? What the hell?" Alex Rogan stared at his daughter. He sat in the chair that had been his for over two decades. She could see his face etched with fatigue and pain though his helmet visor, but he was alive! Outside the canopy was a shimmering white veil, unlike any sky or spacescape Sara had ever seen.

 _Dad…_ Sara breathed and reached out for him, but her hand was not flesh! It looked like it was made of glass! It shimmered in odd wavelengths that she could almost… Almost…

"Sara!" Alex shouted "Whatever you are doing! Stop! You are fading!"

 _Dad! Everyone but me thinks you are dead!_ Sara pleaded. _The League is going to Earth! They want soldiers, not just Starfighters. But it won't end well!_

"We are not dead." The voice of Grig was tense. Small wonder. "But we jumped blind. We have no frames of reference for this place, so getting home may be a bit tricky."

 _If_ **I** _can find you…_ Sara jerked. Something was pulling her away from her dad. _No! Dad! No! I want to stay and help! DAD!_ She screamed as energy grabbed hold of her and pulled her away.

She was dimly aware that she was crying. That her throat was raw as hands touched her, soothing muscles that had been tense for days. Mostly though? She _saw_.

She saw gunstars exploding. She saw Ko-Dan ships exploding. She saw a star go supernova. She saw planets burn and cities crumble under meteor gun impacts. She saw humans, Rylans, Ko-dan and so many other species die in huge numbers. She saw Ko-Dan troops marching across the capital of Rylos through rubble and bodies. She saw humans in odd uniforms marching across Ko-Dan worlds through rubble and bodies. Then her heart froze as she saw the same humans marching across League worlds. Shooting League residents as they tried to flee.

 _No…_ Sara pleaded even as the images continued and her body slowly relaxed under the touch that had to be Ceriana.

Then she saw something that had her flinching. The alley she had entered the League safehouse through. But now? It was packed with forms in blue uniform. Mark lay on the ground nearby, his hands cuffed behind him as five humans set up at the door with a battering ram. All of the others held Earth firearms. But one held something that she couldn't quite see. She tried, but it wasn't clear to her. She couldn't see that being's face! All the others were clear, but not that one.

 _Ceriana…_ Sara begged. _Tell me that is not happening now!_

 _I don't think y_ _a are seeing the future, Sara._ Despite her words,Ceriana's mental voice was scared. _Ya is_ _probably_ _seeing a possible future. Julia always said it ain't set in stone. She was fond of quoting movies and always said the future was always in motion. Things change. If they do raid here, there ain't nothing illegal for them to find. They ain't gonna find the matron and that is about the only thing that might set people off._

 _But…_ Sara flinched as the images vanished in a haze of blue. Stunner fire?

 _The light is different, Sara._ Oprisa reassured her. _Even if it is real and not a possible future, then it hasn't happened yet. Not for an hour or two at the very least._

 _She is so weak._ Ceriana was crying as strong fingers probed Sara's neck muscles now. _Stay with us, Sara. Stay with us. We needs ya and ya needs us. Stay with us, sister._

She saw vans approaching StarLite, StarBrite and being stopped by forms in camouflage. She saw arguments between police and military get violent. She saw the same being who she couldn't quite see the face of pull a firearm and all hell broke loose. She saw military and police go down in the resulting firefight. She saw the fight spill into the trailer park and the residents gunned down as well. She saw her mom, her grandmother and Louis fall along with Louis' family.

One final scream and it was over.

Sara slumped, exhausted as the visions finally let her go. She was crying as she sank into the table, Ceriana's fingers now massaging her scalp and the other psi's energy soothing her even more. Ceriana was crying too.

"Dat's it." Ceriana crooned. "Dat's a girl. Rest. Damn, ya is powerful, Sara. Ya mom and dad ain't the only fighters in ya family."

"Someone..." Sara croaked. "Someone led the cops here. Led them to StarLite Starbright. Someone… I can't see his face."

"Dunno about dat." Ceriana said sadly. "But _yous_ need to sleep now."

"No." Sara begged even as she felt psychic energy push into her weakened mind. She fell asleep between the letters of the word.

* * *

Somewhere

Sara wasn't asleep. She wasn't anything or anywhere she had known.

She sat on a white surface and she was surrounded by luminous energy. One piece of it moved close to her and she could not react as it touched her. It felt… comforting? She couldn't see anything but white.

 _You are strong, child._ The mind wasn't like anything Sara had ever encountered. _But in all things, there are limits._

 _People are going to die._ Sara said weakly even as the white energy surrounded her. It held her in a gentle grip and she couldn't react as others moved close.

 _No matter what, people will die, Sara Rogan._ The other said gently even as the odd energy seeped through her. It felt good. _You cannot change that and you must not try. To do so would destroy you. Let the pieces fall where they may, you must focus on yourself._

 _I am going to go mad or die._ Sara said weakly.

 _That is possible._ The other said quietly. _But you are not alone, Sara Rogan._ _What you just did has not been done in millennia._ _You touched your father and know he lives. Now others have the proof they lacked. Focus on yourself, child. You are in grave danger. You will wake rested and be able to deal with the problems that face you. Look to your allies and beware your enemies._

 _That was a Xurian, leading the enemy, wasn't it?_ Sara said softly. _Who killed Grandma Jane and Louis._ _Who shot mom._

There was no reply and Sara was crying softly as she faded completely.


	13. Chapter 13

**Arrangements**

Sara fought hard to keep her mouth shut as the van bounced. She had barely been awake for two minutes before Oprisa had come in, thrown a set of odd looking clothes at her and bundled her up before literally pulling her out of the building via another entrance that Sara hadn't seen and into a waiting van. Oprisa wore an odd garment too, it looked strangely sturdy and yet revealing. Then there was the vehicle. It was a cargo van, not a passenger van and she had nothing to sit on or even hold onto as the van hit yet another pothole and she bounced off bare metal. She wanted to complain, but she didn't. She and Oprisa were not alone in the van.

Ceriana sat up against the wall that separated the cargo area from the driver compartment and was to all appearances, snoring lightly. She was asleep! She wore some kind of full cloak. That was surprising enough, but the _other_ occupant of the van frankly bothered Sara.

She hadn't seen the young man's face. It was covered by a hood. The rest of his body was covered by other things that really _bothered_ Sara. It wasn't revealing. Not at all. That was the problem. There was literally _nothing_ showing of his body. Add to that the handcuffs around his wrists and the manacles around his ankles and she really did _not_ want to ask. She had been warned against using her powers. She had nearly burnt herself out denying her ability for so long. No one blamed her for that. The visions had been so bad that she had fought hard to deny seeing them. But then, she had seen her dad.

That had been a shock. She didn't know where she had been or how she had gotten there. It hadn't been space. That she was reasonably sure of. But from what she remembered from her education and a few trips, the images she had seen had been her mind traveling at supralight velocity. Which shouldn't have been possible. She wasn't a physicist or mathematician, but the basics were fairly simple to understand. In the physical world, the speed of light was immutable. The faster you went, the closer you got to it, the greater the mass you had to propel. By the time you got there, your mass was infinite. You couldn't go faster. In the _physical_ world. Sara didn't try to understand anything beyond the fact that instead of passing the speed of light, a ship with the proper equipment took a shortcut through another dimension. They went into said dimension one place and came out somewhere far away from there. So… She had journeyed to where her dad was? She burned to ask Oprisa, but she knew better than to distract the psi.

The van jerked and Sara stilled as she felt it slowing.

"Roadblock." Oprisa said softly. Ceriana was awake instantly and the man on the floor of the van seemed to shudder. "We should be okay. They don't have descriptions for anyone but Sara."

"What" Sara inhaled. Oprisa nodded to her. "The vision?"

"Yeah." Oprisa was calm and quiet. "The police got a tip that a supposed runaway was seen being taken against her will in a known brothel run by organized crime. The reward for the runaway -you- is enough to tempt many who should know better."

"But I am not a runaway." Sara said weakly and then kicked herself. "A clandestine kidnapping."

"Probably." Oprisa sighed. "We are tracing the orders now. But the gist of it is that if they get you, you disappear and that is not happening. Sara..." She held out something to Sara that the girl took a moment to realize was a mask of some kind. "I need you to wear this."

Sara took it gingerly and stared at it. It was sort of a mask, sort of. Mainly to seemed like a bit and blinders that a horse might wear, She had seen horses in pictures and once in reality while on Earth for Maggie's grandmother's funeral.

"This won't hide my face." Sara exclaimed. "Oprisa..." She groaned as the elder psi smiled widely.

"Dey ain't gonna be looking at yous face." Ceriana said smugly as she undid her cloak. Oh my god! What she wore barely covered her. What there _was_ of it was glossy and black. Was that a small whip she was toying with? "But Jenny has yous covered."

"The clothing you are wearing is androgynous enough that you can be mistaken for a guy." Oprisa smiled at Sara's sudden glance at herself. "Especially with this." She tapped Sara's pants and Sara's eyes went huge as a bulge appeared in the front of it. "Some people get enjoyment from the oddest things. Come on, Sara, we only have a couple of minutes. Stand here, put it on and I will put up an illusion over your real face, just try not to talk." She indicated a spot and Sara moved to it.

"At least no one has cameras." Sara said weakly as she pulled the thing onto her face. Ceriana helped her strap it in place. It wasn't uncomfortable. Far from it. It _was_ embarrassing as hell, which was probably the point. The bit went between her teeth and she snarled halfheartedly as Ceriana tightened it in place.

'Dis a special one, Sara." The human woman said with a nod. "Touch here and here." She guided Sara's fingers to two tabs. "Pull hard on dose with fingers or yous mind and it come off fast." Sara stared at Ceriana who smirked. "Hey. I ain't normally in the scene, but it takes all kinds, no? You learns fast how to do such things in me old business if yous want to be safe."

Sara could do little but shake her head as Oprisa stepped to her and nodded, touching Sara's forehead with two fingers. Sara felt energy flare around her. The van came to a stop and Sara could hear the driver talking to someone. She sounded upset.

"...and if I don't get them to that party on time, officer, my job is toast." The woman said savagely.

"We are looking for a kidnap victim, Ma'am." The officer sounded angry too. "Open it."

"Okay." The driver sounded defeated and Sara tensed as the back doors of the van opened. Bright sunlight poured in and four forms stood at there, three in uniform. At least none had weapons drawn. All three police officers were staring as the driver shook her head. "Ah, Mistress Ceriana?"

"Yes." Ceriana drawled the word out into at least four syllables. Her tone mixed lust with promise. "Dese come to join the party?" It was amazing how red two of the police officer's faces got. The other was made of sterner stuff and kept his face blank.

"Ah, no." The driver said weakly. "The police are looking for a kidnapped girl."

"Oh." Ceriana mixed disappointment with worry as she turned to look at the cops. It was totally a coincidence that her mostly bare bosom was completely on display. Of _course_ it was. "What dis girl look like?" She asked, her tone suddenly brisk. "We not have anything to do with non-consensual crap." She waved at Oprisa. "She look like Jenny or me?"

"She is sixteen, white and she has dark hair." The calm policeman said with a growl. He looked at the hooded man and Ceriana nodded.

"Jenny, take Mark hood off." Ceriana commanded. "Dey gots be sure he a guy."

The hooded man started shaking his head, but Oprisa simply grabbed the hood and yanked it off. She took hold of his head and turned it to the cops. Dark eyes stared at them over tape that had been affixed over his mouth. He was obviously a Latino, but the cop shook his head. The bound man's eyes were scared.

"We need to be sure."

"Ah damn." Ceriana sighed. "It took me an hour to get him ready like dis. Mistress Karina not gonna be happy but she understand. We may be weird, but we not animals like scum who kidnap kids. Jenny? Do it."

The man in the gag made a squeak that turned into shouts as the gag came off. His invective was in Spanish and Sara's skill with the language had no problem with it at all. She blushed at some of what he said. Then Sara's eyes went huge as he started in _Rylan_! Oprisa laid a hand on his cheek. She shook her head.

"Don't worry the officers, Mark." Oprisa said sternly. "Or the mistress will get upset. You don't want that. English. Now."

"That fucking hurt, you fucking bitch!" 'Mark' snapped at her. She slapped him lightly.

"Tsk tsk..." Ceriana said with a glower. "Twice. Yous used the same curse word twice. If Mistress Karina had heard that, yous _would_ be doing push-ups with her sitting on yous back." Mark paled and Ceriana shook her head. "Calm down, boy. Getting upset won't help." She shook her head. 'And 'Sam' here?" She nodded to Sara.

"He is black." The professional cop said with a nod. "Sorry for the inconvenience, Ma'am."

"We ain't animals, officer." Ceriana said with a sigh. "Not like way too many out there. We in the scene may push the lines until they groan in protest, but those lines do not get crossed or bad things happen."

"That they do." The officer agreed. The other two were moving away with more speed than decorum and he smiled at Ceriana. "How you doing, 'Mistress Ceri'?"

"We doing okay, 'Officer Paddyman'." Ceriana's smile was wide as she nodded to the driver who started closing the door. "Give the wife and kids me love."

The door closed before anyone could hear the man's response. Sara stared from the door to the black woman whose posture was sad. The van stared up again and was in motion.

"Met a lot of cops in me old business. He a good man who was in a bad place." Ceriana said very quietly. "Dat job eat people up and den shit them out." She shook her head. "Don't think bad of him. He come to me at me old job an I tell him 'No' after de first time. It not right for him. I not know why. It just not right. He married and have one kid den. We talk. Nothin' more. Den Johns set it up so me could talk to his _wife_." She smirked at Sara's expression. "Luci a good woman but she a _good_ woman, if you get me drift. She needed to… not be so good for a while." Her smile turned tender. "It worked. He gots anoddur kid and maybe a third on de way."

"You did that for a _cop_?" The man on the floor asked, incredulous.

"I did dat for a good man in a bad place." Ceriana replied. "Same as we is doing for _you_." She said sternly the other who wilted. "Now… What the hell you talking? You got nose business knowing dat language."

The van started off gain and Sara sat down quickly. She fumbled for he straps and found the tabs that Ceriana had shown her. She pulled and the gag thing came off quickly. She worked her jaw. It hadn't been uncomfortable, not really. But it _had_ been tight.

"If there was a camera aimed at the door, you illusion won't fool that." Sara said weakly. Psi powers worked on organic minds, they didn't work on machines.

"Which is why you were mostly in shadow. No camera would have gotten enough to match your face." Oprisa replied glibly. Her eyes were on the man on the floor though. "How you doing, Julio?"

"Still weak, Ma'am. I am sorry." He said weakly. "It just slipped out."

"I went deep, but you will recover." Oprisa promised. Sara stared at her mentor and Oprisa smiled. "Sara. Think."

"A human shows up at the safe-house, but not supposed to be there." Sara said slowly. "A plant or a trap."

"More like a Trojan Horse." Julio said with a wince. "I was supposed to lead them to you all. I am sorry." He bowed his head. "I just… You hear him and _believe_. You want to believe what Xur says." Sara hissed and Oprisa nodded.

"Cults of personality are nothing new." The veteran psi said with a wince. "Xur has been hiding for decades. None of us found any evidence of him being here though. It does make sense. He has his indoctrination down and a fertile ground to sow his own seeds of hate on this world."

"Like we need more." Julio said sadly.

"Come off it, Julio." Oprisa said firmly. "We will need you. Even with you drugged for transport, you have been to his hideaway. We can find it with your help."

Sara stared at her mentor. She had heard all kinds of expressions from the veteran psi. She had never heard quite that expression of hatred. She was suddenly glad her mind was closed up as tight as it was. She opened it, just for a moment to feel what Oprisa did. But what she sensed...

"We-" Sara jerked as a vision slammed into her. A van! On fire and exploding. _Their_ van? "Danger!"

An impact nearby slammed Sara straight into darkness.

* * *

Later

Sara roused, confused. She was lying on a hospital style bed ina small room she also did not recognize. Her left arm was bandaged from her shoulder to her wrist and she could feel a dull ache from it. She could see tubes running into her right hand. Her arms and legs were strapped down, even the bandaged one. When she tried to move her head, it wouldn't move either.

"Ah, you are awake." A male voice that Sara did not know spoke up from nearby. She stretched out with her mind, but something went 'click' and her mind fuzzed a bit. "None of that, child. You are confused and I have no doubt that your arm hurts, so I will put you out for the trip to your new life."

Sara was struggling feebly against the restraints as her world went dark. She fought the sedative, but it wasn't one. It was _several_ and all of them powerful. She took each in turn and neutralized them. It took time, but if she screwed up, she could kill herself, so she did as she had been taught.

She cracked her eyes and found herself in a vehicle of some kind. Not any kind she recognized the inside of. She stared at what she could see of herself and she was clad in some kind of silvery foil. Her left arm was outside of the foil, but covered in a different kind of foil. This she recognized as League burn dressings. She couldn't move at all.

Something went click again and she cursed silently as she lost consciousness. She fought the sedatives again and roused to voices.

"...and nothing works to keep her asleep." The male voice said with a groan. "Every twenty minutes, she rouses. See? She is awake again."

"I do see. Is she prepared for the next steps?" This voice, Sara knew. Xur. She opened her mouth to spit expletives, but it wouldn't. Or something was _in_ it. She tried to open her eyes and couldn't. She cataloged everything she could feel. Tubes and sticky places around her body spoke of medical purposes. Her head felt lighter than it should and cooler. Where was her hair?

"Yes, master." The first voice spoke again. "Some high ranked League agents have the ability to render drugs or poisons inert. We thought it had to be technological based and their implants self destructed on capture but she has no implants that we can find or residue of such. We need to study this. A thorough dissection is in order."

Sara quailed but kept her mind as still as she could. If Oprisa was alive, she would be looking for Sara right now. She just had to hold out until rescue.

"Not yet, doctor." Xur sounded amused. "We will need her. We have not been able to get at the Logistics Commander despite her apparent lack of security. A hostage will be a good thing, but I have an even better idea. Plan two."

"Master, the drugs may not work on her." The other cautioned, then gasped. "No! I am not disobeying! My job is to do this. If you wish me to do my job, I must point out problems!"

"We need her healthy, happy and obediant." Xur said firmly. "Do it."

"Yes, Master."

Sara had no further warning as cold things were placed against her skull. Then she screamed as energy bit deep into her skull and seared her mind. It stopped and she cried into her bonds. Then it happened again. Regular as breathing, the shocks came and lasted for two heartbeats. Each pause lasted for five heartbeats. She could do nothing but writhe and scream as her self, her very being was slowly and carefully shocked out of existence.

Then she knew no more.

* * *

Somewhere else, an indeterminate time later

Sara woke and jumped out of her bunk, instantly ready for inspection as the hall lights came up. She did not bother with clothing, it would get in the way. The proctor stepped forward, eyeing each of the twenty forms now standing beside their beds. Ten male, ten female. All bald and with eyes fixed on the wall in front of them.

Why did that feel wrong?

It wasn't. This was home. Sara knew that. She knew she was here to learn and train to be the best she could be. The proctor stopped in front of her and reached out to touch Sara's left arm, still in the burn foil. Sara did not react as pain shot through her. The proctors used pain as a goad. What did not kill you indeed made you stronger.

"It is healing." The woman said with a nod. Her skull was not human. It was far too large and her gray hair was only on the sides of it. "That is good. You will need it today."

Sara did not react as the proctor continued down the line. Only after inspection was done did the recruits get to dress. A shapeless smock was their only attire. They never left the building and it was climate controlled so headgear or footwear was not needed.

The twenty children moved into two lines and trooped past the sign by the door on the way to first meal.

 **Greetings Starfighters. You have been recruited by the Xurian Empire to defend the Earth from the League and the Ko-Dan Armada.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Training**

Sara rolled to her feet as her opponent tried to stomp on her left arm. She had known as soon as she had been selected for this training session that her opponents would use her arm's hurt against her. They always did. Anyone who showed any weakness at all was immediately a target. It hadn't been her fault that a fool had overloaded an energy weapon in the lane next to her on the firing range yesterday. Even then, she was far luckier than the poor slob in training group three had been. _He_ had been disintegrated by the blast whereas she had merely suffered second and third degree burns on her arm, a fairly trivial thing for Xurian tech to cure, if time consuming to recover from after. The damage was fixed, but the skin would take time to regrow. Until then? It was a weakness and her fellows _would_ take advantage.

But two could do that.

Even as she and her opponent circled, she eyed the human. She was cataloging everything she knew about him. He favored arm strikes and was right handed. So it was no surprise when he darted in for another grab with his right hand like the one that had tossed her before but this time, she countered. With her _left_ hand! His eyes went wide as her strike went home through a briefly unguarded spot and slammed into his side with bone crushing force. It hurt, but she had the satisfaction of seeing pain flash across his face before it vanished back into professional blankness. He did not recover instantly and she moved to take advantage of his lapse only to pause as the training master called out.

"Time."

Sara was in place almost instantly, her smock drenched with sweat. Parts of her body rubbed raw in the salt streaked fluid, but she ignored that pain as she had been taught to ignore all pain. Other spots on her body were sore from impacts with the ground or other students' fists or feet, but she ignored those too.

"Train." The master called and each of the twenty students in Sara' class ran to their assigned alcove.

Inside, each stood in front of a display with two controls. She waited for the system to boot up, unsure as to why she was bothered by the controls. They were simple enough. One vertical stick with a single button on top and one horizontal stick with three buttons in front of it and one button on the left side. The one of the left was flight control, allowing her sights to train anywhere around the craft she was supposed to be defending. The one on the right was weapons. The turreted directed pulse energy blasters, large turreted directed pulse energy blaster and missile launchers all corresponded to actual weapons on actual craft. One of which Sara might eventually be able to command someday. So why did she want to call them 'fan lasers', 'particle beam' and 'photon bolts'? None of those names made any sense. No Xurian gunstar would ever carry something so laughably primitive as a _laser_.

 _Mission parameters are as follows: Enemy craft detected approaching Earth's moon. One large craft and two small craft detected. All are recognizable League warships. Engage and destroy._

The synthesized voice in her head came from the machine. It was wrong somehow but Sara ignored that as she focused on her controls and the display. She had full power for all of her systems as she saw the display go live. The spacescape in front of her was also wrong, but when it lit up with flashes of red and green, she focused and started firing. The other craft were gunstars, she realized with a start. The Starfighter Legion! Why did that bother her so much?

 _Allied craft entering battle. Alert! Enemy craft entering battle!_

Sara looped her gunstar away from the battle for a moment to take in the new tactical situation and it wasn't good. Half a dozen small twin engined craft had entered the fight on the side of the Xurian forces, but they were being outflanked by a huge 'V' shaped ship that was even now deploying deck fighters.

"Ko-Dan." Sara inhaled softly. "Request orders?" She asked as she shot three missiles down that came at her from extreme range. A Ko-Dan deck fighter strayed too close to her gunstar and evaporated as she fired her heavy weapon at it.

 _Engage before they can launch all squadrons._ Came the immediate response.

That only made sense. Even with twenty gunstars and six allies- Scratch that. One blew up to Sara's wince. _Five_ allies now. Twenty gunstars with inexperienced pilots and five support craft versus a League battleship, two extremely professional gunstars and a Ko-Dan Command Ship? This battle was far too close to even odds. She gasped as a Xurian gunstar blew up, followed by another. They had strayed too close to the League ships and paid the price. Say what you would about the League, the _Starfighter Legion_ were no slouches.

"Engaging command ship." Sara called and she was gratified to see three other Xurian gunstars moving with her. Photonic energy slammed her way and she danced away from it, always one step ahead of the enemy fire. She reached optimal range, fired her missiles as well as all of her guns and then her screen went dark.

 _Your ship has been destroyed._ The voice inside Sara's head said calmly and she braced herself. Sure enough, pain sang through her. The price of failure was always pain. She spun and dropped into the front leaning rest position in front of her machine. Then she waited there. All around her, she could hear grunts as her fellow trainees also lost their battles, were punished and then took up position to wait. It wasn't very long until a chime sounded.

"Elapsed time: five minutes, forty seven seconds." The training master called out. "Pathetic! Not _one_ of you landed a shot on any of the League ships!"

He snarled curses as he walked around the area. A grunt of pain nearby had Sara tensing, but nothing hit her. Her arm was on fire, but she would not fall or cry out even as the sound of blows came from whoever was lax enough to make noise on being punished. Finally the sick noises ceased and the training master continued his grim walk around the training area.

"Four of you managed to hit the Ko-Dan Command Ship and your attacks would have likely crippled it." The training master sounded grudging. "Recruit Sara, why did you fire all of your weapons on your first pass? You drained every ounce of energy from your weapon banks." Since she had been asked a direct question, she responded. Hesitation was punished almost as harshly as failure.

"Without the element of surprise, one pass was all that was likely to occur." Sara said firmly. She wanted for a blow to fall, but none came.

"Indeed." The training master sounded somewhat approving. "The battle of Rylos should have been a loss. It _would_ have been except for dumb luck. A Ko-Dan Command Ship carries _how_ many fighters, Trainee Oleg?"

"A Ko-Dan Command Ship can carry as many as fifty Deck Fighter, Training Master." The Mentioned recruit said firmly. "But it is the command and control systems that provide their greatest tactical advantage."

"Which someone else knew." The training master said mildly as something tapped Sara' on the head. "How did you know what to shoot for, Recruit Sara?" It didn't occur to her to lie.

"I did not." Sara replied instantly. "I fired at the closest target on my HUD. I knew I would get no second shots with only four of us attacking. We need more to succeed." This time, the tap was a blow and she bit back a scream as her face hit the floor. "Did I hit something important?"

"Defeatism aside, you did. A good shot." The training master allowed and another blow sent her back into the floor. She tasted blood but ignored it. She did not react and the boots of the training master moved away. "Recruit Gorl, what the _hell_ were you _thinking_ charging into the crossfire of _two_ gunstars _and_ a battleship…?"

* * *

Five hours later

Sara hurt in many ways as she lay down for her somatic learning period. After the dismal showing at the simulators, the class had run through another series of training exercises, but this time, _everyone_ had focused on Sara. She had been forced to defend herself from multiple opponents twice. The Training Master did not interfere and Sara had taken pummeling both times. The only good news was that she had hurt her opponents both times before being overwhelmed and she had never cried out. A medic had been called both for Sara and two of her opponents that she had crippled, but she hadn't been punished either for hurting them or for being stomped. A quick meal that was all but tasteless and now they had rest period along with learning that would be beamed directly into their brains via their implants.

"Hsst." The soft voice came from nearby and Sara turned her head to see a Latino girl staring at her. She probably would have been pretty without the bald head and the bruises on her face. "Sara? I am Lina."

"We should focus on our learning." Sara said evenly. This was probably a trap of some kind. She did not react as the proctor glanced at her and then away. The female Rylan should have called the other girl to be silent, so something was up. "If we fail in any way, we will be punished."

"You took Julio's slot. Did you see what happened to him?" The girl insisted. Sara stared at her and then shook her head, laying her head back against the hard pillow that contained the sleep learning system. It did not activate and Sara tensed. Something was going on. "He is my friend, I just want to know."

"I don't know any Julio." Sara said quietly. "I am here to be a Starfighter." That was wrong. Sara didn't know why that was wrong, but it was. "I serve Xur." That was really wrong. Why did Sara feel that way? It wasn't her place to judge. She was here to… to…

She gasped as the world fell away into a white nothingness. She sat up on a featureless white plain and she did not hurt anymore.

"They cannot hurt you here." An unknown alien stepped out of nowhere to stare at Sara. Sara wasn't sure, but... Yes, the stranger was female although Sara did not know how she thought that. She had purple tentacles instead of hair. "Sara. Oh Sara." The other sighed deeply. "I am sorry."

"Is this part of my training?" Sara asked slowly.

"Ah." The strange alien grimaced and then nodded. "Yes it is, Sara. Emperor Xur wishes all personnel to be vetted by security specialists. You will not speak of this to any but me. Not the proctors, not your fellow recruits, not even the Emperor himself. He wishes to test you."

"I will not fail Emperor Xur." Sara said firmly. Was it her imagination that the other gave a tiny sob? It had to be.

"Okay, recruit." The other knelt in an odd way that Sara slowly copied. "We have a hypothetical scenario here. A soldier has been kidnapped by a third party for unknown purposes and brainwashed into serving an enemy." Sara went still and then nodded. Another quiz. She hoped she got it right. She didn't want to be hurt here, wherever here was. "What do we do with the soldier?"

"Is the soldier useful?" Sara asked tightly. She hadn't been forbidden asking further questions, but the proctors did not always act logically when questioned. "Does he have skills or training that is needed by the cause?"

"Yes." The other said evenly.

"Has the soldier been rescued?" Sara was confused by this but willing to go along with it. Training did not stop while one lived, ever..

"No." The other replied. "We have found him, but are unable to extract him at this time. He has a bomb inside his head."

"If the soldier has been brainwashed and implanted in such a way then he is a threat until the brainwashing can be undone and the implant removed." Sara said firmly. "Once he has been recovered, the doctors can undo the brainwashing."

"What doctor Sara?" The other asked quietly. "What doctor do you trust the most at the moment?"

"I do not understand the question." Sara said slowly, bracing herself for a blow. "I serve. It is what I do."

"But who do you trust the most, Sara?" The other asked, still so maddeningly calm. "After Xur, who do you trust the most?"

"Doctor Kurztimov." Sara replied instantly. "He tended me after my injury and he was professional."

"Thank you." The other's voice was suddenly flat and Sara felt fear blossom. "Be strong, Sara. You are not alone." She reached out to touch Sara's forehead, but Sara recoiled, sudden pain rising through her. "Sara, be calm. We have what we needed. We need to free you now. Your mom is going nuts."

"I serve the Emperor!" Sara pleaded as something took hold of her from behind. It had more than two arms. "I..."

The hand touched her forehead and all hell tore through Sara's mind. She screamed and screamed and screamed. Agony piled atop of agony tore through her as something inside her mind shattered. She… remembered. The arms behind her were cradling her now and someone was crooning to her as she writhed in agony.

The van had flipped over, part of it burning. Sara had landed in the fire and the pain had been indescribable. Ceriana and Oprisa had pulled Sara and Julio out of it even as something had slammed into it again. Oprisa had acted, done something that Sara hadn't quite followed and the sudden silence all around them had been devastating. What had the psi done? She had called for backup and it had arrived, including a doctor. Doctor Kurztimov. He had given her something that he promised would help with the pain, but then, her mind had fuzzed and she remembered shouts, Oprisa screaming in rage as she had fallen asleep. Then she woke again in the doctor's care. She had heard him talking to Xur and then something had shocked her. She had woken in the training facility.

"He doesn't know." Sara said weakly. "Xur doesn't know about the psis. He thinks you are agents of the League with somewhat higher tech than normal. How did he get away with me?"

"I was distracted." Oprisa's tone held simple fact, not excuses. "I killed the people shooting at us but it took a lot of energy. I wasn't recovered when the ambulance took off with you. We didn't know if the doctor had been suborned or simply the driver. Maybe both. The doctor was found a day later, unconscious. I hadn't had a chance to speak to him yet. Now I will discuss things with him." From the elder psi's tone, the discussion would be both short _and_ painful.

"So he...blocked part of my mind?" Sara asked. The other nodded. "Oprisa, there are nineteen other people here. None older than twenty, I don't think. All of us are being trained as weapons."

"Sara, we have to get you out of there. They will hurt and then kill you. This is some sick twisted game to him." Oprisa said firmly. "He is probably programming you to kill your mother or something equally evil."

"Oprisa, you do not understand!" Sara exclaimed. "He is training me -us- as _Starfighters_!"

"What?" For the first time in Sara's experience, Oprisa seemed flustered.

"Can you see what I saw?" Sara begged. "It will take too long to explain and I have to go back!"

"Sara, we have a team setting up to get you out." Oprisa said firmly. "But we cannot..." She paused as Sara opened her mind fully, allowing the other psi to see everything she had. "What? No. No." She breathed, horrified as she saw the sign at the dormitory, the training and the game like interfaces. "That is not possible!"

"He had us fighting two gunstars and a large Star League ship, Oprisa!" Sara said with a gasp. "Tell me the League delegation hasn't arrived yet."

"He cannot have built gunstars!" Oprisa declared. "The energy signature is distinct to modern sensors!"

"How did Dad win the battle of Rylos, Oprisa?" Sara said with growing conviction. "The systems were shut down until the fleet had passed. Even Ko-Dan energy probes cannot detect power systems that are _shut down!_ "

"Sara." Lieutenant Joul's voice came from the side as he came into her field of view. The spider was agitated. "You do not know that. You can't. For all you know, he is going to try and steal them from a Legion base or have Earth build them and him provide the pilots."

"If he is training Starfighters, Lieutenant." Sara said formally. "Then he intends to use them. Have you scanned Julio all the way?" The others looked at her and she frowned. "One of the other girls mentioned him by name. I am not sure why or how that is germane, but I get the feeling it is."

"Sara, we have to get you out of there and the bomb in your skull removed." Joul said flatly. "Your mom is going nuts. _Once_ seeing her berserk was _more_ than enough."

"Let me talk to her." Sara said quietly The others did not react and she sighed. "Yes, I know she is not powerful enough to reach here on her own, but you _can_ bring her, no?"

" _ **SARA!**_ " Maggie Rogan's impassioned cry had Sara on her feet as her mother ran to her and swept her into a bone crushing embrace. "Oh my girl, my poor girl!"

"Mom." Sara hugged Maggie back. "I am a mess, Mom."

"They told me you had been kidnapped. Probably by Xur." Maggie was sobbing as she held Sara. "But he would just kill you."

"No, Mom." Sara gave Maggie another squeeze. "He isn't that nice." She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "I need Logistics Commander Rogan now, Mom. Can you do that?"

"I don't know, Sara." Maggie admitted. "This has been bad. The delegation will be here in less than a day and you...and.. I..."

"Mom." Sara said quietly. "The delegation is flying into a trap. I need a straight answer. How many spare gunstars does the Legion have in storage in systems close to Earth?"

"What?" Maggie stared at her daughter. "Sara, that information is classified."

"Okay." Sara said quietly. "I am going to hazard a guess that the number is ten." Maggie stared at her and Sara heaved a sigh.

"Because counting me, there are twenty people training to fly them for Xur."


	15. Chapter 15

**Double Double  
**

"Sara..." Maggie Rogan paled.

The featureless white surface that was Sara's conscious mind seemed crowded with her, Oprisa and Joul as well as Sara in it.

"Yeah." Sara said in a very small voice. "I know. He wants gunstars and Starfighters of his own. The problem is, Starfighters are usually well disciplined and incredibly loyal." She smiled a little. "Can't _help_ but be around you."

" _Sara._ " Maggie fought a wet chuckle as she hugged her daughter again.

"Without logistic support, even the mightiest of gunstars with the best Starfighters wouldn't have much of a chance against the entire Legion." Joul said softly from where he lurked nearby. He was a very sneaky spider on occasion.

"I am betting he will use them as he uses all of his tools." Sara said darkly. "As terror weapons. Mom… I have to go back."

"What?" Maggie grabbed Sara and held her tight. "No!"

"Mom, this is not real." Sara was sad, but firm. "This is a representation of my sleeping mind. Oprisa knew me well enough to step in. Thank you." She nodded to Oprisa who nodded back. "Are you all right?" Oprisa shook her head. "How bad?"

"Breaking Xur's controls is never easy." Oprisa sighed. "It is not brainwashing per say. At least, it wasn't. This is different. Stands to reason if a human did it." Maggie tensed and her face became a terrible thing. "Oh don't worry, Maggie. I am going to go have a 'talk' with that doctor. After I have rested a bit."

"Xur doesn't seem to know about the psis." Sara said with a nod. "And that gives us an advantage. I am inside already."

"Sara!" Maggie protested. "They will kill you!"

"No." Sara said slowly. "If they wanted me dead, I would be. They had every chance while I as asleep. But I never showed any signs of being a good Starfighter. So why..." She paused and then blanched. "If I were in a gunstar, would _dad_ be able to shoot at it?"

"If he knew…" Maggie's shoulders drooped. "Probably not."

"And then if I am under Xur's control, I shoot Dad." Sara said slowly. "He hates dad more than anyone else in existence besides his own father I think."

"Yeah." Maggie, Joul and Oprisa agreed.

"That is evil." Sara said with a wince. "Then again, evil is what Xur does. I never understood how a Rylan could be so not Rylan."

Most Rylans valued courage, honor and knowledge. Xur seemed to go out of his way to embody the polar opposites of those. Even most human fanatics did things to bolster their own causes at times. Xur didn't.

"Humans use the term 'sociopath', Sara." Oprisa said quietly. "He doesn't feel bound by the rules of society. He wants what he wants and to hell with everyone else."

"But it doesn't make _sense_." Sara complained. "Why would he do this? His actions make no sense." She paused and then grimaced. "Of course they don't. I am not insane. Still..." She shook her head. "He has to have a plan of some kind but he will not tell his pawns that."

"No and trying to figure it out will get you killed." Oprisa warned. "You are not a trained agent Sara, do not even think about it."

"No." Sara agreed. "What I am is on the _inside_." All three of the others started talking and Sara raised a hand. "Please, hear me out." The others glared at her but Oprisa spoke first.

"Sara." Oprisa said firmly. "We have an extraction team set up. I had to talk fast but they were already enroute."

"The other kids will fight, Oprisa." Sara winced. "Geloca's Bones, _I_ might if they continue the indoctrination." All of the others winced at that. "Who is coming?"

"Lets just say Agent Maxwell had a lot of favors to call in." Oprisa said with a wince. "So did I. The Xurians used human rockets on the van. If not for my shielding, we would have all died." Sara stared at her mentor and blanched.

"How drained are you?" Sara demanded. Oprisa shook her head and Sara reached out to take Oprisa's hands. "Oprisa! How drained are you?" Psis had a large store of energy, the veteran psi had stores of energy that Sara had only glimpsed a time or two and been awed by. But there were limits and if she _passed_ them… She could kill herself trying to keep things going.

"I will recover, Sara." Oprisa said with a frown. "But it will be a while. We need to get you out of there."

"Wait." Sara took a quick step back as Oprisa reached for her. "Lieutenant, Logistics Commander… The Legion is in a bad place currently with Commander Rogan gone." She said formally to Maggie and Joul who both looked uncomfortable. "I can get you reinforcements."

"Xurian reinforcements?" Maggie asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Her face might have scared off a hungry lioness.

"What better way to negate an enemy than to take his weapon from him and use it yourself?" Sara asked. She turned to Joul who had remained silent. "I need the blocks put back in before I wake up."

"Sara!" Oprisa grabbed for her, but Sara evaded. This was her mind. The elder psi was so exhausted she could not hold Sara. That did not bode well for her.

"I love you all." Sara said as she cut the connection.

* * *

Sara jerked awake, stifling her immediate cry of dismay. A dream. She had experienced a dream. That was not supposed to happen with the somatic units, but she supposed not all Xurian tech was perfect, heretical as that thought was. She was back where she belonged, training to be a Starfighter for Xur. The dream hadn't been unpleasant, but it was fading and she let it. She somatic unit clicked off and she jerked as the proctor appeared nearby.

"You are summoned." The proctor said firmly. Sara rolled out of bed and stood at attention. The proctor shook her head. "Dress."

Sara nodded and pulled her smock on. Her eyes tried to widen as the proctor produced shoes for her. No socks, but Sara simply slid the footwear on and then rose back to her feet. She did not bother to move as the proctor laid restraints around her wrists. They clicked shut and hummed with energy.

"Come." The proctor nodded and started off. Sara followed.

They walked through corridors that seemed dismal to Sara. They almost seemed to press in on her. She ignore that. She needed to be focused for whatever test she was facing. They passed a set of armed Rylan guards and then another. Then the proctor stopped at a door that had both guards and two automated turrets beside it. All of which aimed at Sara.

"This one's presence was requested." The proctor said calmly.

The guard on the left keyed her com. In moments, she had an answer and she raised her rifle to ready instead of aimed. She nodded. The door opened and the proctor started forward, Sara following. The turrets tracked her, but did not fire. The room beyond was odd. It was bare for one thing, but splotches of color shone on the floor in places. For another, one wall was blank and silvery. There was no other door.

"How unexpected." A voice she did not know sounded _in Rylan_ as Sara was led into the middle of the room. It was sort of female. Sort of. Not human sounding. The proctor forced her to her knees. "I see you may have spoken truly. For once."

"Matriarch, I have never lied to your people." This was Emperor Xur and Sara bowed her head all the way to the floor. "What happened at Rylos was a series of mistakes and yes, I do admit my part in the mistakes. I did push Commander Kril too far but he tried to have me killed. Can you blame me for reacting as I did?"

"Pity he _failed_." The other snapped.

"Matriarch, there is no need for us to be enemies." Xur tried again. "You asked to see proof that Sara Rogan lived after her injuries. You have it. Now will you take my words to your Emperor?"

"What I _see_..." The other said snidely. "...is a human woman bound on the floor. I have no proof other than _your word_ that she is indeed Sara Rogan, the daughter of the Great Enemy." There were odd inflections on those last two words. Not anger, not fear. _Respect?_ "After all the lies you have spouted, why should _any_ of us take your word for _anything_?"

"And what proof would you take, Matriarch?" Xur demanded and then paused. "My apologies. I do tend to get a bit upset easily these days."

"I need to touch her." The other said firmly.

"I cannot allow that." The Emperor retorted. "And you know it. So what?"

"I need to be close to her to prove who she is to my Emperor's confidence. Our DNA scanners are short range, but efficient." The other replied coldly. "If you refuse, then you have wasted my time and yours. _Yours_ is running out as we speak."

"I have contingency plans." Xur snapped.

"Of course you do." The other said in a mock soothing voice. "You will use weapons of mass destruction on civilian targets. Just like you ordered Kril to do before."

"Those were military targets!" Xur replied, calming. Sara did not like hearing her Emperor so disturbed.

"The university whose board kicked you out after they discovered you cheated on your exams was a valid military target? Worthy of a meteor?" The other demanded, still cold. "I see the human, in the flesh or this is off. You have your guards and weapons, but you cannot hold me and you know it. The only reason I am here is because you said you had Alex Rogan's daughter. That is what my Emperor demands. You will give her to him. Or you will die. Here or soon. It makes no difference to me. Although I would like to see you in chains at his feet to explain your madness in person."

Who _was_ this being who could talk so to Sara's Emperor?

"We need her alive." Xur said slowly.

"I am not going to kill her." The other actually sounded shocked. "That is my Emperor's prerogative, not mine. But he has demanded any of the Great Enemy's family that can be found to be brought to him. Alive."

"What does he want with her?" Xur actually sounded worried for a moment.

"I know my place." The other snapped. "I know better than to demand answers of my Emperor. He _might_ answer me and I will live longer if he doesn't. I need to see her. In person, within a meter or shoot me now and be done with it."

What the hell was going on? Sara couldn't understand any of this The proctor at her side was tense. And why did they call her 'Rogan'? That felt right, but not really. She was Sara, Trainee Starfighter of the Xurian Empire, not this Rogan person's daughter. Wasn't she?

Sara gasped as a hidden door slid open and a being stalked in. Her eyes went huge as she saw a Ko-Dan, but… not a warrior in armor. No, this being was female. Ko-Dan females were rarely seen. She wore fine robes and her bulbous head was surrounded by a silvery metal thing that flowed over her skull. Her eyestalks were covered by silver metal as well. She held a device of some kind in her hand. Sara's eyes went huge as she saw two Rylans enter behind the Ko-Dan, weapons ready. Emperor Xur stood just behind them. The Ko-Dan stopped a meter from Sara and a beam of energy played from the device across the kneeling girl who tensed. But the beam did not seem to do anything. The Ko-Dan's eyestalks pointed both at the device and at Sara. She seemed stunned.

"Well?" Xur demanded.

"It just occurred to me that the DNA samples were provided by _you_." The Ko-Dan said with a growl worthy of an Earth grizzly bear. "It wouldn't be beyond you to give us fake samples."

"You have got to be kidding." Xur snapped. "This _is_ Sara Rogan."

"If I go back to my Emperor with this scanner as my only evidence, then the _best_ I can hope for is a quick death." The Ko-Dan replied. "In all likelihood, my demise would take _weeks_. I _need_ to _touch_ her."

"If you kill her, I will do my best to make your death memorable." Xur snapped. "Guards, set your weapons to stun." The Rylan guards took aim. At the Ko-Dan!

"Her life is my Emperor's." The Ko-Dan said quietly as she stepped forward. "Not mine, not yours."

"I have her. And you." Xur purred.

"Do you?" The Ko-Dan asked as she touched Sara' head. _It_ **is** _you! Oh no!_ The Ko-Dan voice was in Sara's _head_ now. _Oh my goddess… What have they done? What have_ **you** _done?_ Her other hand came up to touch Sara's head as pain flared through Sara. _I am sorry child This will hurt, but you will be safe, I swear it. I am Profiri and I swear your safety._ Sara tried to scream as pain flared through her but her mouth wouldn't move. Then Ko-Dan was embracing her. _It is all right, Rogan's daughter, it will be all right. Hold tight to my mind._

Sara could do nothing as both of the guards fired, but their bolts flew right _through_ the Ko-Dan and Sara.

"You will not take my prize." Xur screamed as he pulled out a remote and started mashing buttons.

"I just did." Profiri snapped and then, the pair of them were elsewhere. Sara hit a hard surface, but then warm arms caught her up. " _Healer!_ " Profiri screamed in another language. " _Healer now!_ " It was very strange. Sara did not know that language, but she understood it anyway?

"Matriarch, what?" A startled Ko-Dan voice sounded from nearby, but the Ko-Dan who held Sara snarled at him whoever it was.

"This is the Great Enemy's _daughter_ and she is _gravely_ injured! Get a _healer_! Now!"

The next few minutes were a blur to Sara. She was laid on something warm and soft. She roused for a moment as something found her lips but cool water splashed into her mouth and she drank gratefully.

"That is it, child." Profiri's voice sounded from close at hand. "Drink. Restore your fluids. No, do not try to talk yet. I took control from you to keep us both alive, a transgression of your honor that I will pay for. But you are alive and you are safe. I need to break the block, child. The one on your powers. Of all the times for the prophecy to come true..."

 _Prophecy?_ Sara asked inside her mind.

"There is no time right now, child." Profiri said sadly. "There will be. I promise you. The war between the League and the Ko-Dan will end. But this… You need to heal the damage I did to stop the bomb. You need to. Easy, child. Let us in. It will be all right."

Sara was gasping as hands touched her and energy flowed into her. It soothed her, every inch of her body was slowly relaxing. Then something went snap inside her and she remembered again. Sara screamed, but the gentle touch on her head soothed her.

"It is all right, Sara Rogan." Profiri's voice soothed her. "You will be able to understand us on your own now. It is going to be all right. Heal yourself."

"So you can kill me slowly?" Sara demanded, but then gasped as the energy soothed her again.

"No." A firm male voice sounded and Sara felt her head turned to the side. She was lying on a floor, staring up at a dais. On that dais sat throne, in which a Ko-Dan in ornate armor was perched, eyeing her. "Your life is safe, Sara, Daughter of Alex Rogan. So I say." There was no royal 'we' in those words, but there _was_.

"So we hear." A mass of voices sounded from all around and Sara felt her head turned back. A straw like thing found her lips and she gasped as the tart fluid scalded her tongue.

"What?" Sara managed.

"We checked and you can metabolize this safely. This will make you sleep, child." Profiri said gently. "You need it. After everything that Xur did to you and what you did to _yourself_."

"What is this?" What had to be the Ko-Dan Emperor demanded.

"She tore her own mind asunder to infiltrate the ranks of the Deceiver even after being rescued from him. To attempt to save others of her race who were enslaved by him." Profiri sounded near to tears. "She is not a warrior. Not a spy. But what she bears… Emperor, she is as my ancestress Nirlia! She is a precognitive as my ancestress was."

"So much honor in these human forms." The Emperor said heavily. "We need her, Profiri. Can you tend her?"

"I can and I will." The female Ko-Dan sounded calm, but Sara could feel her upset.

"I am sorry for this, Profiri." The Emperor said quietly. "I never intended this. I should have known he would lie. It is what he does."

"What?" Sara managed to croak before a nudge of mental energy silenced her.

"Be silent, Sara Rogan." Profiri warned. "The Emperor does you great honor in allow your presence. But he will not countenance disrespect. Your _life_ is safe by his words, but his guards _will_ hurt you."

"She cannot trust us, priestess." The Emperor was still quiet. "All she and any of her kind have known of Ko-Dan is slaughter. Are you sure?"

"It is as foretold by my ancestor, Emperor." The Ko-Dan holding Sara said quietly. "She is the offspring of our greatest enemy. She is not a warrior. She is as I am, if not quite the same. She is incredibly powerful from what I have sensed in her mind. The priests _must_ tend her. We _must_ heal her before she faces her true test."

"She is not Ko-Dan, Priestess Profiri." The Emperor sounded worried now. "Can you tend her?"

"If the Ko-Dan are to survive, then we _must_."


	16. Chapter 16

**Honor**

Sara was not asleep.

She had never actually lost consciousness, which was a major step up from her recent history. Whatever they had given her had been mild, she had been fuzzy, but not out. She had been carried on something soft and yielding into a smaller room that was crowded with beings of many kinds that Sara did not know. Not all of them were Ko-Dan. There she had been laid out on what had to be a table of some kind, but it was padded, almost _comfortable_. She was not restrained, and indeed, she could feel everything that was being done.

The beings around her were using psionic energy in patterns she recognized. They were scanning her body in preparation to heal her. Not her mind, her _body_! On reflection, that did make some sense. The only human who the Ko-Dan had encountered was Alex Rogan and _him_ only from a distance in the heat of battle. They likely did not _know_ anything about human physiology.

"Sara Rogan, are you well?" Profiri asked from nearby. The female Ko-Dan had not left her side.

"I don't know." Sara admitted. "I am very confused. Why are you trying to heal me? Ko-Dan are enemies of my people. Aren't you?"

"We were." Profiri said quietly. "No longer. We will fight no more."

"I don't understand." Sara said weakly. "You took a world. You have a massive advantage now."

"That conquest was our doom, Sara Rogan." Profiri was sad, so sad. "We are what we are. We are Ko-Dan, heirs to a tradition going back millennia. A tradition of victory and honor. No longer. Your League has proven victorious. Our day is done."

"I don't understand." Sara repeated. "You were winning."

"No." Profiri said with a sigh. "We _seemed_ to be. But we were blinded by our arrogance. We are paying for that now. Our ancient texts speak of pride as being the greatest of our flaws and that is true."

"What do you mean?" Sara asked, even more confused.

"Ko-Dan have always chosen to challenge themselves." Profiri said quietly. "Physically, mentally, spiritually, the way of the Warrior is very common among my people and our associate races."

"Associates?" Sara managed to get the word out without sarcasm. Barely.

"I know." Profiri heaved an all too human sigh. "Yes. In our past, and not nearly far enough in it, the Ko-Dan enslaved every race that we encountered who could not hold us off. Only your League managed to do so and that because they worked together. Much as I hated your Frontier for most of my existence, only a fool looks at it and doesn't feel a sense of awe. It was an amazing feat of engineering." She paused as a form Sara did not recognize stepped close. "Yes, Healer Fromins?"

"With your permission, we are ready to begin, Matriarch." The being bowed. Sara couldn't help but stare. The being looked for all the world like a tall stalk of celery. "With your permission?"

"Don't ask me." Profiri said sourly. "Ask _her_." She waved at Sara. "If you try to access her body without permission, it will likely hurt. And _not_ her."

"What are you taking about?" Sara asked, worried now. "You… This… I don't understand." She pleaded.

"You won't know." Profiri replied. "For now? Focus on healing. Once that is done… Will you take our surrender?"

"Wait. _What?_ " Sara demanded. " _Surrender_? Ko-Dan do not surrender!"

"We cannot fight what Xur has done to us." Profiri said sadly. "We cannot beat the League and to continue to fight will only ensure our destruction." But Sara had tensed. "No, child, relax. You need to relax."

"Xur." Sara said slowly. "Always Xur. What did he do?"

"Priestess?" The healer asked, concerned. "We need to start."

"Sara Rogan." Profiri said sadly. "We can explain and we will. But we must heal you first. You do not feel it since I am taking your pain, but you _are_ hurt."

"Touch me." Sara said in a tiny voice. A hand came into her vision and touched her forehead. Sara could feel the Ko-Dan's pain, fear, rage and grief. She could feel loss, sadness, and an iron resolve to do whatever had to be done to save what she could of her people. That shook Sara. There was no way the other was faking that. Sara slowly closed her eyes. "I should not trust, but I do. What do I call you formally? You have been formal and I do not know your full name. I have no wish to give offense."

"I am Priestess Matriarch Profiri." The other said quietly. "First Priestess of the Empire."

"I am Sara Rogan. Analyst Third class and trainee." Sara replied just as quietly. "I am...honored to meet you."

"The honor is ours, Sara Rogan." Profiri sounded nearly in tears again. "Will you let us heal you? We will use our power to augment your natural healing. We do not know your body's ways, so anything more we do may cause more harm than good."

"Yes." Sara relaxed fully and energy came to her. It felt heavenly after so many pains in recent days. She sighed in relief as her body eased, as pain she hadn't felt slowly vanished. Sara was floating on a sea of bliss, but she was still aware.

"Her arm was burned and then broken." The healer spoke professionally. "It is healing well. The brain case is intact and the damage inside is minimal. You did well, Priestess."

"I had little time to be gentle." Profiri replied. "What else? I could feel oddities on her lower body."

"I am not sure." The Healer said after a moment. "These scans… There is free fluid here and here and there should not be. We cannot sense any damage, but if there is fluid, then there mus be."

"Is she bleeding?" The Priestess demanded. Sara tried to dredge up worry, but it couldn't pierce the bliss that surrounded her.

"No." The Healer reassured her. "We would recognize that no matter the species. This is odd. It seems there are cavities inside her abdomen. The fluid is pooling there. Sara Rogan, have you had organs removed?"

"Not that I know of." Sara managed through the comfort that surrounded her.

"Xur did something to her." Profiri's rage was a terrible thing. "Any sign of poisons? Drugs? Anything?"

"Nothing we can detect, Priestess." The Healer replied after a moment. But he sounded worried. "Our scans cannot determine what the fluid is. Priestess… We need to do a biopsy."

"You stick a _probe_ in her and she is going to _freak_." Profiri said flatly. "I don't blame her. We cannot anesthetize her safely and doing such a procedure while she is conscious is a bad idea. After everything else that has been done to her, she cannot trust _us_ , Healer."

"I do." Sara's words had sudden silence fall. "I should not, but I do. You are a psi. Like me. You cannot lie to me, can you?"

"No." Profiri said quietly. "Anyone else? Yes, we would try to lie to. You? No. We cannot."

"Why?" Sara asked.

"Because millennia ago, my ancestress saw what just happened. She..." Profiri paused and the hissed. "No… _NO!_ " She cried. " _NO! Not that!_ "

"Priestess!" The Healer said quickly. "What?"

A hand touched Sara's abdomen and Profiri gave a tiny sob. "I can't sense it clearly. No… Please Goddess, no! He couldn't have! Not _her_ _ **too**_ _!_ "

"Priestess Profiri?" Sara asked when the silence that fell became oppressive.

"'The chosen one will lose her future'." Profiri sounded as if she was quoting something. "It is not a perfect translation, the ancient Ko-Dan were not great at keeping records. Most of what we have are on stone tablets if you can believe it. Oh, Goddess! Sara Rogan… We need to know."

"You have been kind and gentle to the daughter of an enemy." Sara said slowly. "I do not understand your race but what I have heard, Ko-Dan are honorable to a fault."

"Good way to put it." Profiri actually chuckled at that. It was a wet chuckle, but a chuckle. "Honor can be taken way too far, but it is what has kept us as a race whole through the centuries. Sara Rogan, if we do this, it will hurt you."

"Is there no other way?" Sara asked.

"Uh..." The Healer sounded a bit disturbed. "There is another way, but it would be incredibly uncomfortable."

"How long would it take?" Sara felt an overpowering calm settle on her. She could do this. She could.

"A few time parts as Rylan tell time." The Healer sounded worried now. "Priestess?"

"Sara Rogan, what will you do?" Profiri asked, concern for Sara rising.

"I can deaden the nerves in my lower body." Sara replied. "I did it in training several time. It is not fun, but more fun than feeling something invade my body. Where is the fluid?"

"We are pretty sure they are your reproductive organs." Profiri said quietly and Sara reeled. "We are not sure what has been done to them."

"Why would he do that?" Sara begged. "That makes no sense!"

"He is insane, Sara." A hand sound hers and took it in a gentle grip. "We knew it from the moment he came to us, but what he offered seemed worth it. It wasn't. But it seemed that way. Now? We are doomed unless the League can help us."

"What did he do?" Sara asked quietly as she focused her mind on the nerve clusters of her lower spine.

"The world that we took was empty of life." Profiri said sadly. "We should have realized that the information had to be a plant. It was too easily obtained and to good to be true. A totally undefended League world? When our troops landed, they found nothing alive. No sapients, no animals, no plants." Sara hissed in horror and Profiri continued. "What was worse, the weapon that did it was persistent. Our entire fleet went tot hat world, Sara Rogan. We expected a trap and we found one, just not the one we expected. Our troops were lax with their biological warfare protocols and before any realized, the entire fleet was infected with the bioweapon. Before we could enact quarantine measures, we saw outbreaks on every Ko-Dan world. This was an attack. A successful one."

"A biological weapon?" Sara breathed. "Oh my god."

"Apparently not the same one that killed the planet." Profiri said sadly. "This one is tailored to us. It has sterilized us."

"The League wouldn't do that." Sara said weakly. "They wouldn't! You are talking about genocide!"

"Xur would." Profiri said quietly. "I am betting he did. When he..." She broke off. "I… Sara Rogan, let us help you and then we will explain everything. There is little time though. Your League delegation at Earth is flying into a trap as we speak." Sara forced herself to continue to focus on her nerves, slowing each neuron firing impulse until her entire lower body was numb. "That is a very interesting application of power." Profiri mused. "Can it be taught?"

"Yes, but I cannot hold it for long. Maybe five time parts." Sara said tightly through her focus. "Whatever you are going to do, do it."

"We are." Profiri said gently. "We will be quick. You will have discomfort after and we have no ways to ease that safely except to encourage your body to heal quickly."

"Are you infected with the bioweapon?" Sara asked as a sudden thought occurred.

"No." Profiri said flatly. "I was in isolation before the outbreaks. The Imperial Court went on immediate lock-down as soon as we realized what was happening. There is no sign of it there. I was too important to risk, so I was kept in the Priest's Wing with my people."

"So how did you get to Earth?" Sara asked.

"Once we realized the truth of what was happening, we had no choice, Sara Rogan." Profiri said sadly. "We had to talk to the League. I was sent, with a handpicked crew to talk to the League. To surrender. The Warriors were upset, but there is nothing to _fight_. The war had to end or our race will. When I crossed the Frontier, a League ship was waiting for me." Anger sounded and Sara hissed. "Expect I did not realize it was not a League ship until after we boarded. They killed my guards and blew my ship to atoms."

"Xur." Sara said flatly.

"Xur." Profiri agreed. "He knew who I was, so he was very careful with me. Even..." She broke off and then gasped. Then she was crying. " _No._ "

"I am sorry." The Healer sounded abject. "We do not know what they were, but they are gone."

" _THAT LYING PIECE OF WORM DUNG WILL DIE A MILLION DEATHS!_ " Sara jumped as Profiri screamed. "I will see him screaming in agony for months! _Years_ if possible! He had no _right!_ " She was obviously cursing. The hand that clenched Sara's was shaking and Sara gave it a squeeze. Profiri stopped in mid rant.

"He took my reproductive organs." It was not a question. "And he took yours."

"Yes." Profiri was crying hard as many hands and other manipulation digits touched Sara, offering support, sympathy, energy. Sara for her part, sent energy to Profiri who gasped.

 _I am in shock._ Sara sent to the Ko-Dan. _But I am sorry._ She could feel the minds around her alter slightly as her compassion soothed the Priestess somewhat. _He likely will not destroy them. There may be a chance to recover them? Reattach?_

 _Maybe._ Profiri sounded tired in her mind. _I don't know. He taunted me with them, showed them to me in a stasis case. I…_

 _Come here._ Sara embraced the crying mind and held Profiri tight as the Priestess cried. _Xur is evil. There is no other word for it. Your people and mine may have been at war, but now? They are not. Xur is on Earth. The League is about to open negotiations_ **with** _Earth and he has laid a trap for them. He has agents there and is training more. I bet this was his plan all along._

 _Likely. But what can we do?_ Profiri begged. _The League will not listen to us. Or you. No offense meant._

 _None taken. I know someone who they_ **will** _listen to…_

* * *

Outside of time and space

"This is also very impressive." Profiri was in awe as she materialized on the featureless gray plain that Sara used to communicate with her mentor.

" _This_ is _very_ _**important**_ Priestess. Do nothing. Nothing at _all_." Sara warned. "My mentor can and _will_ kill with a _thought_. Your talents in healing and teleportation are impressive, but she is like one of your warriors, trained to kill. I am nowhere near her skill or power."

"You are still weak, Sara Rogan." Profiri move to stand by Sara, her face alive with worry that Sara could sense. "I should not have let you talk me into this."

"We have no time to go through channels, Priestess." Sara said with a sigh. "This is the best way. Oprisa?" She could feel the other psi's mind, but there was no sign of her. "Scan me deeply, mentor." Sara knelt.

"Sara Rogan, what is happening?" Profiri demanded.

"DO NOTHING!" Sara exclaimed as energy suddenly surrounded her. It hurt, such a sudden scan and Sara bit back a groan as the energy bit deeply into her mind. "Xur has played both the League and the Ko-Dan, Agent!" She said through waves of pain. "See… it… all..." She opened her mind and collapsed as the energy scoured through her.

"SARA ROGAN!" Profiri exclaimed and then knelt beside the convulsing human. "No! Hurt her no more! If you must hurt someone, hurt _me!_ "

The energy cut off and Oprisa appeared nearby, her face a mask.

"Sara Rogan?" Profiri begged as Sara groaned.

"I am alive." Sara said weakly as she rolled until she was facing upright. "Priestess Matriarch Profiri? Meet Senior Agent Oprisa. My mentor. Oprisa? Meet Priestess Matriarch Profiri."

"We lost you." Oprisa said softly. "You vanished completely right out of our scans. We couldn't detect you anywhere. We didn't feel your death though. We would have and that is all that kept Maggie from tearing that place apart with her bare hands."

"Priestess Matriarch Profiri rescued me." Sara said with a wince as Profiri touched her. "No. Do nothing. She cannot trust and she _can_ hurt or kill you. Please, do nothing."

"You are hurting." Profiri said firmly as she glared at Oprisa. "She has been hurt _enough!_ " Sara gasped as healing energy flowed into her.

"I see we do not know as much about the Ko-Dan as we thought." Oprisa said slowly. "We knew nothing of our kind among them."

"We have been marginalized for centuries." Profiri helped Sara sit up. "The Ko-Dan Emperor created the priesthood to concentrate any psi power in the hands of the Emperor. Every attempt to breed more has failed."

"Yeah." Oprisa said sourly. "The potential almost seems to have a sense of humor at time." Profiri stared at the League telepath and then barked a laugh. "You have seen it too?"

"Oh yes." Profiri agreed. "The universe has a very odd sense of humor at times."

"I would say 'sick' instead of 'odd' but the point is taken." Oprisa said mildly. "So… you teleported Sara directly to the Ko-Dan Emperor?"

"Xur had already hurt her, worse than I imagined. The Emperor has declared her life safe. No sane Ko-Dan will harm her." Profiri said sadly as she hugged Sara. "Did you see it all?"

"I did." Oprisa shook her head. "They won't listen to me either. Or to Maggie. They are in system, Sara. Maggie is stalling them the best she can, which is pretty good, but they will approach Earth soon."

"And fly right into Xur's _trap_." Profiri said with a snarl that Sara and Oprisa matched. "We cannot let him win. We _cannot_."

"We won't." Sara said mildly. "Profiri? What did the prophecy say about me?"

"Sara, prophecies are _vague_ even when they are not in ancient dialects that no one today understands completely." Profiri warned. Sara smiled at her and Profiri tensed. "What?"

"Who better to interpret ancient dialects than specialists at such, hmm?" Sara asked. Oprisa stared at Sara and then burst out laughing. Sara had not been the greatest of students when it came to languages. Actually? Even with her abilities, she had been _abysmal_. She had learned, eventually. But it had been a challenge. "Oprisa, this is needed."

"Yes." Oprisa mused. "Yes it is. Do you know these texts?" She asked Profiri who nodded. "I need to touch you to read them to another who can take them to said specialists. We can do it quickly."

"I..." The Ko-Dan paused. "So many centuries of hate...I.." She stiffened as Sara rose and held out a hand to her. Sara held out the other to Oprisa. "Sara Rogan?"

"Trust has to start somewhere and I trust your honor." Sara said to the Ko-Dan psi. "But this is actually the _easy_ part."

"Oh?" Oprisa said slowly as she took hold of Sara's hand and Sara felt her mind fly thought to sample the Ko-Dan's. To her credit, Profiri did not resist.

"There is _one_ person that the League _and_ the Ko-Dan _both_ respect." Sara said with a smile that became a grin as both other psis stared at her.

"Yes. We need to find The Last Starfighter."


	17. Chapter 17

**Uncomfortable**

The huge ship seemed to be holding its breath as it exited supralight. Sara knew she was the first human to stand on the bridge of a Ko-Dan Command Ship. She would have quailed but her two companions reassured her with their simple presence. Profiri was, as always a rock, if a sad one. Sara still didn't know much about her religion, but it gave the Ko-Dan female a strength to continue when others, including Sara, might have faltered. The other female bothered Sara on a number of levels. From the looks various crew gave her, Sara wasn't the only one bothered.

"No one will touch you, Sara Rogan." The fully armed and armored female Ko-Dan Warrior said firmly, her glare circling the bridge.

"I am continually surprised by everything that has happened." Sara said with a shrug. That at least wasn't an insult in Ko-Dan society. She ached in odd places and the Ko-Dan bodysuit she wore was different, if comfortable and armored. She had argued, but she had been overruled by everyone even before being called into the Emperor's presence. "But I am not going to argue with the Emperor, Nalania."

"Smart human." Nalania was a Guardian, a specially bred and trained Warrior who had been raised to serve the Emperor as a bodyguard for his wives. Her face looked far more human than Profiri's did. She didn't have eyestalks. Sara wasn't entirely clear on why some Ko-Dan had them and others did not. It wasn't a societal thing. No one seemed prejudiced about that. Some of the bridge crew had them, others did not and none of them seemed in any way differently treated. She would ask about that. Carefully. Someday.

"You knew he wasn't going to just let us go, Sara Rogan." Profiri sounded amused. "He is the _Emperor_ , He doesn't do things without reason and even when forced into such extremity, he will do everything he can to see every contingency at least _looked_ at. It is what he _does_." Sara looked at her and Profiri shook her head. "You need the protection, Sara Rogan. Your life may be safe, but you do not know our culture. If you had said that to someone with an _energy weapon_ instead of a _knife_..." She broke off with a wince and Sara matched it.

Ko-Dan Warriors were many things, patient was _not_ one of them. Sara hadn't had any way of knowing that the human slang word 'cool' in Ko-Dan meant someone was room temperature. Dead. She had basically threatened the life of the ship's captain she had been talking to without knowing it. Luckily, Profiri had been there and explained before the weapon that had been drawn had been sheathed in the other's body since he was _forbidden_ to hurt Sara by the Emperor. Killing himself would have been far easier and less painful than what the Emperor would have commanded done. Profiri had been forced to talk fast and Sara had done everything the Priestess had demanded. She had not even quibbled when the Emperor had assigned Nalania. Much.

"There will be other miscommunications, Matriarch." Sara said with a nod. "I am not Ko-Dan. I do not know your people. But I think I would like to."

"You say that _now_." Profiri smiled at Sara's expression. Both paused as a chime sounded and the bridge became busy. Both women waited, the hulking form of Nalania at their backs.

"Ship approaching, League Starcar." The ship's captain reported, nodding to Profiri who looked at Sara.

"Let him land, but do not let him leave the hangar bay." Sara said quietly. Profiri nodded to the captain who started passing on the orders. "We better get there quickly. Heaven only knows what trouble that being will cause if he gets loose. He is not evil, just sometimes a bit amoral and he lives to make profit for himself. He may act altruistically on occasion, but he always has an angle. Mom will never forgive or forget." She said as Profiri led her and Nalania out of the bridge past the guards who saluted the trio.

"What did he do?" Profiri asked as they entered an elevator. A luckless tech who tried to enter with them was growled at by Nalania and retreated quickly. Smart Ko-Dan.

"You know telepaths have perfect recall." Sara asked. Profiri nodded. "Do you have gambling within your Empire? Gambling establishments?" Profiri stared at her, both eyestalks rigid with shock and Sara had her answer. "I assume you are smart enough to bar telepaths from such places. I was six and I was not a trained telepath yet. He used my recall to cheat one of those establishments within the League out of a _lot_ of money. Millions of credits worth."

"That _scum_!" Profiri snapped. "I am surprised your mother didn't kill him. In our Empire, he would be called out for an honor duel and shot."

"If he was _lucky_ , he would be shot." Nalania offered. "There are _lots_ of ways for angry mothers to hurt people who harm their offspring." Sara looked at her and the Warrior shook her head. "We don't have time to go over the Five Hundred Techniques of Angry Mother."

Sara winced. Just the name said it all. _Bad_ things.

"Mom did shoot him once, low power and she only hurt him a bit." Sara shrugged. "He is useful, if slimy and _not_ to be trusted."

"I think I might _like_ your mother." Profiri said with a snorted laugh.

" _T_ _his_ is the being you want to have help?" Nalania asked, disbelief coloring her tone. "You say he cannot be trusted and you want him to help?"

"I don't, but I also don't think we have a choice. The thing is, he doesn't like Xur any more than any of the rest of us." Sara said with a shrug. "For much the same reason, actually. A Xurian assassin nearly killed him once. But he recruited my dad as a Starfighter. He is the being in the League that my dad has known the longest after my mom. Mom is busy, so he has the best psychic connection. Even better than me. I wouldn't use him if I had any choice at all. I don't. I could see my dad, talk to him, but I couldn't _touch_ him."

"And you said the area outside the gunstar was white?" Profiri asked Sara nodded. "Then it wasn't in space."

"His Navi-Monitor said they jumped, but I don't know." Sara admitted. "Your records..."

Sara trailed off and bowed her head. Profiri laid hand on her shoulder and Sara leaned into the comforting hand. The Ko-Dan had kept very good records of the fight. The gunstar had vanished in a flash of light, but there hadn't been any debris or any sign of a supralight jump. So many missiles had been fired that it was a small wonder that the Ko-Dan had believed Gunstar One destroyed. Sara had known, intellectually, that what Starfighters did was dangerous, but seeing the battle in all its silent savagery had been a shock. So many Ko-Dan killed as well. It was so horrible.

"War is hell." Sara intoned. Both Ko-Dan looked at her and she sighed. "An old soldier named Robert E. Lee on Earth once said, 'It is well that war is so terrible–else we would grow too fond of it!' I think it is apt."

"Indeed." Nalania was looking at Sara with new respect. "A wise human. Your people are full of surprises, Sara Rogan."

Sara stared at the Warrior, but then the door opened and Profiri led the way out onto the hangar deck. When Sara had come aboard, it had been bustling with activity and noise. Now? It was dead quiet. The Starcar sat in a space reserved for a Deckfighter, dwarfed by the machinery all around it. The door hissed up and open as the trio approached through the crowd of silent Ko-Dan and Centauri eased himself out. He wasn't wearing his human mask now and his eyes were as luminous as ever. He kept his hands in plain sight and still. Wise of him. More than one Ko-Dan on the deck had weapons in hand and aimed.

"Sara Rogan." Centauri said slowly as Sara and company approached. "You called?"

"Let me handle this." Sara asked the other two who looked at her and stopped as she continued.

"You keep strange company these days, girl-" Whatever else Centauri was going to say was cut off as Sara punched him in the jaw! A gasp went around the deck as Centauri hit the floor on his backside. Nalania and Profiri both stood as if amused.

"Be _very_ glad my mom is not here." Sara snapped. "And you _better_ be polite. You may be the only chance my dad has. And without dad? The League _and_ the Ko-Dan are _screwed_. Xur has outplayed us all."

"What?" Centauri's normal good humor vanished as he rotated his lower face slightly with one hand. "Damn, girl. You hit almost as hard as Maggie does."

"I have waited years to do that." Sara was cold as ice now. "The Ko-Dan take honor very seriously. They don't care about such things as assault like the League does. They are not held to higher standards like I am. They don't have cops to stop people from beating others to death."

" _That_ is why your mother never avenged what he did?" Profiri sounded truly shocked. Sara hadn't known Ko-Dan could sound that way. "She was not _allowed?_ "

"They stopped her. They would have punished him, but no, they wouldn't have let her cripple him as she wanted to. Add to that? He was useful to the Legion, who have a history of taking less than law abiding sorts." Sara said with a snarl as Centauri rose carefully -and slowly- to his feet. "I am not a child anymore, Centauri. I am also not gullible now. I need the psychic link you and my father share. Nothing more."

"What I did to you was wrong, girl." Centauri said quietly, but his voice carried. "I knew it then and I know it now. All I can say is that I saw you speak the cards as they were dealt and I got greedy. Your mom and dad wanted some time. I shouldn't have taken you in there. It cost me two friends that day. No money is worth that. I have few true regrets. That is one of them." He shook his head. "What can I do?"

"I do not trust you. I will not trust you." Sara said firmly. "The Ko-Dan will _never_ trust you. I need you to help recover my dad, so you are going to do exactly what I say, when I say. Clear?" Both Profiri and Nalania smiled at her iron tone.

"I owe Alex more than I can ever repay. Not just what I did to you." Centauri replied. "What do you want me to do?"

"In a moment, you will be scanned for tricks, recorders and weapons." Sara said firmly. "Any on your person will be removed using whatever force is needed." Centauri winced and started taking off his coat. Sara did not stop talking. "Then you will be led into another room where others are waiting. Eight of us will attempt to find my father and bring him back."

"And then what?" Centauri was nearly naked now, but when Nalania swept a scanner over him, her scanner didn't bleep. "We all live happily ever after?"

"Hardly." Sara snorted. "Dad and I go to Earth to try and stop Xur and _his_ Starfighters."

"What?" Centauri froze with his pants half off, his huge eyes suddenly boring into Sara.

"Xur has his own Starfighters that he is training. I am betting he has stolen gunstars for them to operate." Sara said firmly as she started walking. Centauri followed, dignified despite his near nudity. "They are going to ambush the League delegation, use that to declare Xur Emperor of Earth probably."

"That won't work." Centauri said slowly. "Earth is disjointed, confused and..." He froze as Sara nodded.

"So a sudden external threat and a hero appears to save the day." Sara shrugged as Profiri and Nalania both hissed. "Especially if said hero has already been making inroads with Earth governments."

"Damn." Centauri entered the elevator with the trio of females and shook his head as it started down. "I wondered. I mean, Trump couldn't have won that election without help."

"Sure, he could have." Sara shrugged again. "Never underestimate the power of apathy. _Especially_ in America." She paused as Nalania took the hand she had hit him with in strangely gentle armored fingers and turned it over. "Nalania?"

"Don't strike a sentient's face with a bare hand, Sara Rogan." Nalania said in Ko-Dan as she started treating the cuts that Sara hadn't even realized were there on her knuckles. "Teeth cut and most mouths are baths of strange bacteria. Even one like you can get infections."

"Noted." Sara nodded and looked at Centauri who was eyeing her. "What?"

"That is not a language programmed into my translator. When did you learn Ko-Dan?" Centauri asked slowly. "I remember you and languages."

"Don't start." Sara snapped as Nalania finished spraying her hand with some kind of liquid bandage. "I learned it recently and that is all you need to know."

"You are working with them." Centauri's face was blank now.

"No." Sara replied. "They surrendered to me and-" She paused as Centauri smiled widely. "Don't even _think_ about it!" She snapped. "They take honor _very_ seriously in the Empire. If you try to profit from this and hurt the League _or_ the Empire, I _will_ ask my this Warrior who was assigned by the Ko-Dan Emperor as my guard to hold your feet in a _fire_ for a couple of _hours_ at the very least."

Centauri looked at Nalania who had finished her ministrations. The Warrior reached up over her head, intertwined her fingers and slowly cracked her knuckles. She smiled at him as she retracted her arms, a grim and terrifying smile full of promise. She wouldn't just _do_ it. She would _enjoy_ it. Centauri froze and then nodded, very slowly.

"I think… maybe… we should get on with this?" Centauri said weakly.

"Wise." Profiri said in Rylan.

The remainder of the trip was in silence. The doors opened to an empty corridor and Sara waited until Profiri had started off. Protocol for most races said that the highest rank went first and Profiri outranked her by several thousand percent. Maybe. It also helped that Sara had _no_ idea where she was going. The corridors all looked the same to her.

"What you are going to see in here is secret, Centauri." Sara said as they approached a door that she did recognize. It was emblazoned with the symbol of the Ko-Dan Priesthood. "You will be restrained so that you cannot speak of it when you leave."

"Yeah." Centauri sighed. "Usually the way around you psis." Sara stared at him and he shook his head. "Don't think I am stupid, Sara. I go my own way, but I am not stupid. You lot are good, very good. But so am I with no conceit intended. The secrets that you carry can be lethal, girl. I want to survive, so I will not resist."

"Part of me almost wishes you would." Sara admitted. Profiri laid a hand one her arm and Sara smiled at the Priestess. "But I don't like that part of me."

"Good." Profiri said mildly. "There is too much darkness and evil in the universe as it is."

"I never thought to hear a Ko-Dan say _that_." Centauri said slowly.

"Xur attacked them with a bioweapon, Centauri. It threatens their entire race with extinction." Sara said sadly. Centauri froze but recovered as Sara continued towards the door. "Yes, the League and Empire are at war, but _that?_ "

"That will make them respond in kind." Centauri said weakly. "Against the League."

"No." Profiri said sternly. "We will not attack those who did not attack us. _If_ your people did this, then they would have said something. Delivered an ultimatum. There was nothing. Every trace we have found points to Xur. I wish it _had_ been your people, you definitely would have made an antidote, a counter agent, _something_."

"He might have an antidote." Sara mused. "Only an idiot makes a weapon like that without one."

"Xur is not _sane_ , Sara." Centauri warned softly and Sara nodded as the quartet entered the room. The other psis there nodded to Profiri and Sara as Nalania took up station by the door. Centauri looked around, but there was nothing in the room, deliberately. "What do I do?"

"Sit down in the middle and don't speak at all. We need to…" Sara gasped as her power flared. She was having a vision! "No! _NO_! Not now!" She bit back a scream as her power flared out of control, but then Profiri touched her and her power faded back to normal levels. "Wha-?"

"I cannot hold your vision long, Sara. You are as powerful as my ancestress." Profiri said as she guided Sara to her knees. "Get comfortable. I will aid you as I can."

"I think… you can teach _us_ as much as _we_ can teach _you_." Sara said weakly as she was laid out on the floor, the Ko-Dan psi's hands now around her head.

"Perhaps." Profiri was smiling as she bent down to touch Sara's forehead with her own. "What you see will be remembered. See well, prophetess."

The words were formal. Calm, cool and collected. Sara felt Profiri's power release her but the tidal pull that Sara had always associated with her visions was a gentle tug now. She flew to the now familiar whiteness only to scream at what she saw as she appeared where she had before aboard Gunstar One

"DAD!" Sara screamed as she saw her father encased in ice! She spun, but Grig was also covered in ice. It wasn't thick, but it was _everywhere_. "Dad! No! I... I am too late..."

 _Wait…_ The thought wasn't her own. She could hear speaking nearby.

"She meant for you not to distract us, but what she just saw is horrifying." Profiri was speaking softly. "Her father and his gunstar are now encased in ice."

" _Ice?_ " Centauri sounded stunned. "Wait… Oh no. They _jumped_ from here, didn't they?"

"Yes?" Profiri asked, confused.

"Then he is not dead, but he soon _will_ be!" The con artist said savagely. "That jump only leads to the ice sculpture factories on the furthest planet in the system! The jump point was intended to send basic forms directly to the machines to be turned into ice sculptures. I bought some here, they gave me a tour. But... A gunstar? That is way too large for the basic machines, the automated systems will have turned on the big one."

Sara quailed. If the machine was turning Gunstar One into an ice sculpture, it was making her vision of her dad screaming in ice come true!

"How long does it take to process?" Profiri demanded. "Nalania! Order the captain to set course for the furthest planet! Best possible speed."

"I don't know." Centauri was almost babbling. "The sculptures I bought were small, less than a Rylan's size. They took a day, but that was for several of them. I knew that they had a big one for people who wanted house sized sculptures. I think one of those could probably handle a gunstar, but I don't _know._ "

"And the only ones who would know how to turn it off are dead." Profiri said weakly. "Oh dear. We need to get them out of there. Can we shoot the machine? Deactivate it that way?"

"From _orbit_?" Nalania sounded dubious. "I don't think naval accuracy is going to be enough. Unless we have incredibly accurate positional displays, we stand too great a chance of hitting the gunstar. It was damaged in the fight already. And if it is in the ice? Our cannon may have a hard time getting through."

"How long to the planet?" Profiri demanded.

"Five minutes at flank speed, which I ordered." Nalania admitted.

"Good. If anything needed speed, _this_ does. We will figure out how to detect the gunstar when we get there. Then we will see how to melt them out." Profiri paused as Sara hissed and then focused herself. _Sara? What are you doing?_ She demanded as Sara focused on her hands.

 _Warming things up. Get here fast._ Sara reached over her dad's still form with hands that suddenly hurt a lot and touched the gunnery controls of the gunstar. The weapons came alive in her hands and she smiled grimly as she started firing the gunstar's lighter beam weapons. _All_ of them.

 _There is more than one way to send up a flare or melt an ice cube_


	18. Chapter 18

**Reunions**

Sara was gasping as she continued to fire the gunstar's weapons. The radiated heat from the energy weapons had nowhere to go and was warming the small ship rapidly. She kept the firing steadily and the temperature climbed. She could feel her fingers start to thaw and she stared in shock as they began to melt! Were they made of ice?

"Sara?" Alex Rogan gasped as he jerked and ice fell off his form as he shook himself. "What the hell?"

 _Dad…_ Sara begged as she continued to fire. _You are stuck in a machine that is turning you into an ice sculpture. You have got to keep warm! Wake Grig! I can warm the ship a little with the discharge from the lighter energy weapons, but I cannot keep it up forever!_ _Get life support back on line!_

"An _ice sculpture_?" Alex gaped as he stared at his co-pilot. Then he was in motion, beating at Grig to break the ice off his old friend. "Grig! Grig!"

"Alex?" Grig's voice was weak, sick sounding and Sara quailed as the alien heaved a sigh. "Let me sleep, my friend."

"No Grig!" Alex said sternly. "We are not dead yet. Sara says we are in a machine that is making an ice sculpture of us"

"An ice..." Grig stammered. Then he gave himself a fast shake and ice literally flew from him. "The world… the people there did make ice sculptures." He stared from Alex to Sara and his eyes went large as he saw what Sara was doing. "Ah, Sara? Why are you firing the secondary turrets?"

 _You need to stay warm._ _The energy has nowhere to go. The steam it creates will warm the ship. We are less than five minuets away._ Sara said weakly as her hands started to lose feeling. _We are coming! Dad. Grig, please._ She begged.

"Let me do that." Alex said quietly as Sara slumped from the controls, her hands steaming. He started firing the same as she had, slowly measuring his shots. "Who is coming?"

 _Ah…_ Sara slumped further. _Long story._ She said weakly.

"Okay, give me the _short_ version." This wasn't her dad speaking, this was Legion Starfighter Commander Alex Rogan.

 _The war is over, Dad. The League won._ Sara said quietly. _But we didn't do it._

"Sara, that doesn't make any _sense_." Alex said flatly as he continued to fire. Grig was working his console now. "How can we have won if we didn't do it?"

 _The world the Ko-Dan took was seeded with a biological weapon, Dad._ Sara said quietly. Alex actually stopped firing and Grig turned to stare at Sara. _When the Ko-D_ _a_ _n arrived, there was no life on it. They think Xur killed the inhabitants and left the world as a perfect trap for them. Keep firing!_ She pleaded. _You need to keep the ice machine from freezing you again and we need to be able to find you. The energy pulses will be distinctive._

"Xur did… what?" Alex said weakly. He _did_ start firing again.

 _The weapon they encountered infected their entire fleet, Dad._ Sara said sadly. _At the same time, another bioweapon was released on every Ko-Dan world_ _by Xurian agents_ _. It has sterilized almost their entire population._

"Bioweapons are strictly forbidden by every League treaty. If only because once someone uses _one_ , the temptation to use them again and again will surface. We have learned that lesson the _hard_ way." Grig said flatly. "The Legion certainly didn't do it. So..."

 _All evidence points to Xur._ Sara said sadly. _And the Ko-Dan are screwed. They surrendered, Dad._ At that, both Alex and Grig stared at her again, but this time, Alex kept firing. _To me._

"Why to you?" Grig asked as he focused back on his controls.

 _I was available._ Sara smiled a bit ruefully. _You two were dead as far as anyone knew and they respected Dad. Some of them call me 'Rogan's Daughter' . I_ **really** _hope that doesn't stick. I have enough problems without hero worship._

"Who is coming, Sara?" Alex said quietly. "You have been careful not to say. So I assume..." He paused and then grimaced. "No! Don't tell me..."

 _A Ko-Dan command ship with one of their religious leaders aboard._ Sara smiled at Alex's dumbfounded expression. _I know._ _It was a shock to_ **me** _and I didn't spend decades fighting them. Just… give us a chance, please? We have more problems. Xur is on Earth._

"I remember you saying the League was going to open negotiations." Alex said with a growl.

 _And I am pretty sure it is a trap. Xur has a base there._ Sara slumped a bit. _He caught me and I was… He did things to me._

"Are you all right?" Alex asked, suddenly all dad.

 _No._ Sara admitted. _I am still in shock, but Dad, the Ko-Dan_ **rescued** _me from him._ _They healed my injuries as best they could. They were kind and gentle. They didn't have to be. They chose to be. And… this is going to hard to believe, but there was apparently a Ko-Dan precognitive psi many centuries ago who predicted this._ She shook her head. _I am not sure I believe it._

"You emerged, I take it." Alex said flatly. Sara stared at him and he shook his head "I couldn't say anything, Sara but I was briefed."

 _I…_ Sara shook her head. _You are not surprised by my non verbal speech._ _All this time I was trying to keep it from both you and mom and you_ **both** _knew. Damn, our family is messed up._ But she was laughing and Alex smiled at her.

"You are alive, girl and that is good." Alex nodded. " _We_ are alive for now. Grig? Status?"

"Life support is back on line. Ice had covered several important systems. It is now melted." Grig replied. "Good timing, Sara. Much longer and we _would_ have been ice sculptures. You can stop firing."

 _No. Keep firing, but slower._ Sara said quickly. _They need to pinpoint your position_ _exactly_ _._

"And energy weapon pulses do that nicely." Alex smiled but then frowned as he looked at Sara. "What did you do to your hands?"

 _I don't know._ Sara carefully did not look at her hands. She knew if she did, it wouldn't be good. _I needed to be able to touch the weapon controls. I did. End of story._ _Aim low though, so you don't hit any rescuers._

"Sara." Alex said sternly. But he paused as chime sounded. "What the-?"

"We are being hailed." Grig sounded shocked. "By _Centauri_?"

 _I forgot to mention._ Sara said quickly. _He is aboard too._

"And you didn't hit him?" Alex said softly. Sara would not meet his eyes and he sighed. "You _did_ hit him, didn't you?"

 _Anywhere else, I would get arrested for assault._ Sara said with aplomb. _Can you blame me?_

"Actually no." Alex smirked at Sara's expression. "Hey, I know about being angry, Sara. I was furious when I found out, myself. But according to some who shall remain nameless, I am held to a higher standard." He mock glared at Grig who busied himself with his controls. "Let's see what the con man has to say."

"Alex!" Centauri's voice was jubilant. "You are alive! Is Sara there?"

"Uh, sort of." Alex stared at his daughter and she flushed. "Why?"

"She needs to come back. Now." Centauri said quickly. "I don't know what is happening, but whatever it is, it isn't good."

 _I can't leave!_ Sara protested.

"Sara." Alex spoke in the voice that would be obeyed.

 _Dad, please!_ Sara begged. _I nearly lost you! Twice! I cannot go through that again!_

"We are not going to freeze in the next five minutes, Sara." Alex said sternly. "Go on. See if your 'allies'..." He made a face. "Can help you. Can do something about your hands."

Sara did look at her hands when he did and she gasped. They were melted! Almost completely gone! They didn't hurt, but that wasn't good, was it? Something pulled on Sara's mind and she was too dazed to resist as her mind was pulled away from her father. She coughed and her throat was raw.

"Easy, Sara Rogan." Profiri's voice came from close by. "Easy. That was very brave and very _stupid_." Sara was shivering as she opened her eyes. Her hands… She couldn't feel her hands! Her eyes flew down at her hands. They were encased in some kind of Ko-Dan tech and she could see steam coming from them. "We need to warm your hands slowly. We haven't seen such a physical transfer in psi powers for centuries. But we _have_ seen it along with the complications that can result."

"He is my dad, Matriarch." Sara said sadly. "And our only hope."

"I do understand, Sara Rogan. Love makes us do odd things." Profiri sighed deeply as she sidled a little away from Sara. "But that _was_ dumb."

"I..." Sara gasped as her hands suddenly hurt, a lot. "I know." She bit her lip to keep from crying out, but it did not fool the Ko-Dan psi.

"The nerves in your hands are still working." Profiri sounded relieved. "That is good. I have no idea if any of our prosthesis would even _work_ for a human and I have no wish to find out."

"Fighters are away." Nalania said from nearby. "The captain reports the energy discharges have cleared some of the ice from around the gunstar. They are moving to approach carefully."

"I told him." Sara shivered harder and someone laid something warm over her. "I told him who was coming. What had happened. I don't know if he believed me."

"Then we have to prove it to him."

* * *

Half an hour later, Earth time

It was a sight few outside the Ko-Dan had ever seen. Fewer still had ever seen such and lived to tell about it. Sara stood with Profiri and Nalania as Gunstar One was slowly lowered into the largest hangar bay on the Command Ship to rest on its landing struts. The four Deckfighters that had towed it up from the planet's surface, their job done, arced away to rejoin the two squadrons that now circled the ship.

Centauri stood near Sara, but not quite with her. He was still barely clad. Nalania had placed herself between Sara and the con man. The Guardian was _not_ happy. Sara's bodysuit had saved her life and her hands, but she was still very cold and despite her protests, she _still_ had a blanket wrapped around her. It looked hand woven. She wore odd gloves as well that were still warming her hands slowly. Profiri had been adamant. Sara had to be present, but if needed, they would _strap_ her into chair and Nalania would _sit_ on her. Another psi stood right behind Sara, his mind sending soothing energy into Sara's body to promote healing.

Sara fought back a moan as the lift started down from the cockpit. She hurt. But the others had let her up, after plying her with restorative drinks and warming her as best they could. They would smother her if she let them and she needed to be here. She _needed_ to see him.

Sara jerked as the hundred Ko-Dan soldiers who had assumed a formation in the hangar snapped to attention. None of them were armed. The lift had reached the deck and a familiar form stepped off of it. Alex Rogan was not wearing his helmet. His hand was on his holstered pistol, but it fell away as he saw the assemblage. His eyes lit on Centauri but then tracked to Sara.

"Starfighter Commander Alex Rogan, may I present Matriarch Priestess Profiri of the Ko-Dan?" Sara said formally. "First Priestess of the Empire."

"You do us honor, Commander Rogan." Profiri said in flawless Rylan as she bowed her head to Alex who stared at her. "We wondered if you would open fire as soon as you were inside the bay."

"Priestess. That wouldn't be such a good idea." Alex stepped forward but then stopped, still on the lift, his eyes still on Sara. "If I hurt Sara, her mom would take it out of my hide." Profiri actually chuckled at that. "Permission to come aboard?"

"Permission granted. If half of what I have heard about your mate is true?" Profiri shook her head. "I bet she would not be happy.."

"Dad..." Sara pleaded and suddenly, her was there, holding her as she cried. "I am a mess."

"Yeah." Alex held Sara as he had so many times. He had always fought hard to make time to be with his family. "You need to stop scaring people, Sara."

"Good luck with _that._ " Nalania said in a very quiet voice. Alex looked at her and then shook his head as he focused on Profiri. He likely didn't understand her words since she spoke in Ko-Dan, but her tone said it all.

"How badly is she hurt?" The first human Starfighter asked carefully.

"There is no permanent damage." Profiri reassured him. "She had some frost burns. She was and is hypothermic but that can be treated. She had to be here even though she _should_ be in a bed. You would not trust _us_." She paused and then nodded. "You do not trust us."

Sara understood. Grig hadn't come down. The Navi-Monitor could do a lot of damage even not as a trained Starfighter with the gunstar _inside_ the huge Command Ship.

"Two decades of fighting is not undone in a few minutes." Alex replied calmly. Profiri nodded. "One of us had to come and she is my daughter." Sara chuckled in his arms and he smiled at her. "Yes, Sara. I pulled rank."

"We need to talk Dad." Sara said through suddenly chattering teeth. She gasped as Profiri touched her head. "No! Don't put me to sleep!"

"I will not, Sara Rogan although you need it badly." Profiri shook her head. "We should get her somewhere more comfortable. Can you leave the bay?" She asked Alex who looked at her. "I understand Warriors and contingency plans."

"Grig won't do anything unless he loses vital scan downlink." Alex said firmly. "Sara was...um… convincing." He gave his daughter a squeeze.

"That she is." Profiri chuckled. "Your daughter is a treasure, Alex Rogan. If she were one of mine, I would be torn between showering her with gifts or _locking_ her in a _tower_ for the rest of her _life_ to protect everyone else _f_ _r_ _om_ her." Sara gave a squeak of protest, but Profiri ignored her. "Nalania? Can you protect him as well?"

"He does not understand our language." Nalania protested. Alex looked from her to Profiri and Sara spoke up.

"She is assigned to guard me, Dad. She is not happy with me." Sara said weakly. Nalania growled at her. "She only speaks Ko-Dan but she understands other languages." Alex looked at Nalania and then nodded slowly.

"A tradition?" He asked. She looked surprised and then nodded. "I assume you are sworn to only speak that language?" She nodded again. "I have seen such before. It can be a pain in the butt on occasion. You are sworn to protect Sara?" She nodded third time. "Good luck. You are going to _need_ it."

" _Dad!_ " Sara protested but Nalania relaxed for the first time since the gunstar had landed. She smiled at him and then her gaze swept the room, ignoring Alex.

"Sara, I have seen all kinds." Alex smiled as he hefted his daughter and she sighed as he held her off the ground easily. "I assume the Priestess's question was to the guard. If she is protecting _you_ and _I_ stay close, then she protects _me_ as well. That way, Grig won't have to do anything...drastic."

"You are far wiser than most Warriors I have met." Profiri said with a smile.

"Most warriors are young." Alex replied. Profiri and Nalania both stared at him and he shrugged. "Any who survive to be old learn wisdom or at the least a little bit of caution."

"Good point." Profiri chuckled at that. "Let's get Sara somewhere a bit more comfortable and then we can talk."

"Right." Alex looked at Centauri. "You sticking around?"

"You are going after Xur. I want in." The com artist sounded nothing like his normal cheerful self now. Then again, he had seen what Xur could do first hand.

"No one will trust you." Alex warned.

"How is that different from any other day?"

* * *

A few minutes later

Sara was warm again. The bed she was lying on was incredibly comfortable and she was covered in enough blankets that she had finally stopped shivering. She was getting uncomfortably warm though and she tried to pull one of the blankets partway off. She groaned as Nalania stepped up, swatted her hand aside and pulled the blanket back up.

"We sure could have used someone like you when Sara was a kid." Alex said from where he stood by the wall.

"Don't encourage her, Dad." Sara pleaded.

"She is doing her _job_ , Sara." Alex rebuked her gently. "And since you took the surrender of the Ko-Dan, your life is _incredibly_ important. You are the one who will represent them to the League." Sara stiffened at that.

"Dad, I am no politician." Sara said weakly. "I will mess things up."

"I know." Alex looked old and tired for a moment "We will need to get Enduran in on this as soon as possible. The sooner we can get some kind of formal framework in place, the less danger you will be in."

"They won't believe me, Dad." Sara said sadly. "I can barely believe this myself." She looked at Profiri who sat beside her bed. "Did Oprisa get the work translated?"

"She did." The priestess nodded. "And it is both better and worse than we had feared. My ancestress had to be going mad, but she was strong and knew her duty to her people."

"I don't put much stock in religions." Alex said quietly. "Too much has been done by too many in the name of their own religions to take any of them for 'good'."

"As I said, you are a wise being." Profiri said with sigh. "Our own priesthood is about psychic powers, not a defined state religion. There are many religions within the Empire and yes, they have caused all kinds of problems. One reason we are preeminent though is that we are neutral. We are not affiliated with any but the Emperor. It is… appealing to many to serve in such a way. Especially people like myself and Sara."

"Priestess? Please speak the prophecy." Sara said formally. "We must know."

Profiri nodded and spoke slowly. "This is in ancient Ko-Dan, but the translation was well done into Rylan." When she spoke again, it was rhythmic, almost musical.

The green wall falls and the white world beckons with its icy trap hidden from all

The Ko-Dan fall to pride. Their Greatest Enemy's offspring must become an ally or doom is assured

The chosen loses their future and evil rises to be met by courage and honor

At that verse, Alex gave a tiny sob. Sara had told him and he had cried with her. But Profiri was not finished.

The enemy's greatest weapon is your salvation if you can wield it.  


Whoever reads these words, the Ko-Dan must hold the line. They must or the galaxy will burn.

Profiri bowed her head as she finished speaking.

"The white world beckoned." Alex said softly. Profiri nodded. "Shit."

" _Dad_!" Sara protested, but both Profiri and Nalania smiled. "Please don't tell me that is an insult in Ko-Dan."

"It is not." Profiri smiled at Sara. "Excrement is excrement no matter the culture. As long as it is not directed at a person, it is not a problem. And I _do_ agree, Alex Rogan. 'Shit'. A good word for this situation. I do not know what the last two lines mean."

"I might." Alex said quietly. All eyes landed on him and he shook his head. "Nalania? What is the enemy's greatest weapon?" Nalania stared at him, her face confused. "Why do we call an enemy such a thing?"

"I do not understand." Sara said slowly. Profiri looked confused as well but Nalania looked thoughtful. Then the Guardian _laughed! "_ Nalania?"

"The enemy's greatest weapon is _uncertainty_. Most of the time, we _cannot_ predict with any certainty what they are going to _do_." Nalania said flatly. She smiled widely as Sara repeated her words and Alex matched her smile. "That is why we call them an _enemy_! In war, we do what we do and the enemy does what _they_ do. We never know what our enemies are going to do, not entirely. But we _do_ know what _Xur_ is going to do! Don't we?"

"Not the specifics." Alex cautioned when Sara had translated. "But with a good plan, I think we can do this. Beat Xur at his own game." He smiled at Centauri who had been lurking in a corner as far from Nalania as he could get. "Being sneaky is a good thing sometimes."

"And yes, for what I am thinking? Ko-Dan _will_ have to hold a line."


	19. Chapter 19

**Lines**

Sara was on her feet again, but she was still so weak. Her hands ached and would for some time even with all the help the others had given her. They were red and puffy even now. If she hadn't had the psis helping her? She would have likely lost both hands, maybe all the way to the elbow. She could have regenerated them, but it would have taken time.

Time was something they did not have a lot of at the moment.

She had flatly denied the chair that Profiri had offered and stood on the bridge again with Nalania and Profiri as the timer counted down. At least she wasn't wrapped in the blankets anymore. She fought to control a sigh, but Profiri wasn't fooled.

"You fear." The priestess said quietly. "That is normal. We go into battle."

"Intellectually, I know we have planned the best we can." Sara said quietly so as not to disturb the bridge crew at their duties. "I know your people as a whole are in far more danger than we are in this armored bunker deep in the bowels of the ship. I know that my family is safe, those who are not throwing themselves into harms way." Profiri nodded. "But I _am_ afraid. For what is about to happen. For what Xur will do when we act. I don't like my birth people, Matriarch, but I _am_ human. What will he do when thwarted?"

"I know." Profiri said sadly. "But we have done all we can. We have prepared and he _cannot_ have anticipated this. There is simply no way he could have." She chuckled softly. "If you had told me a year ago that I would be standing here with Alex Rogan's _daughter_ on the _bridge_ of an Imperial _warship_ , about to go into _battle_ at _his_ direction, I would have had you _executed_ for incurable _insanity_."

"True." Sara had to smile at the wicked lilt in the priestess' words. Then she sobered. "I meant to ask, but I did not wish to be impolite and there was little time. When you spoke to my father, you spoke of children of your own. You have children already?" Even now, the loss in her belly hurt although there was no physical component. The other psis would not let her hurt physically, but nothing could undo the cut in her soul.

"Four beautiful females and two strong males live with the Emperor." Profiri said gently. "And before you ask, the youngest bears our curse. We will teach him, someday. If we survive this."

"They 'live' with him?" Sara wasn't quite sure how to take that.

"He is an Emperor, Sara Rogan." Profiri said mildly. 'He doesn't hold the crown by being nice."

"Oh." Sara said softly.

"That said, he could be far crueler than he has been to the children of the Priesthood." Profiri said with a shrug. "There are historical example aplenty of Emperors who gained power on the backs and necks of their subjects. Who took hostages simply to do it and sow terror. The current Emperor is no madman. He is neither cruel nor kind for the sake of being so. If he acts, he has a _reason_."

"I can see that." Sara eyed Nalania who ignored her. "This is not what I trained for initially, but I will do my best. For both our peoples."

"That is all we can ask." Profiri said with a smile as Sara took a deep breath to force herself to relax. "And… time."

The circular holotable ahead of them suddenly lit up with a very familiar image. Sara jerked as she saw nine planets orbiting a familiar yellow star. She smiled as she saw icons denoting League ships appear near Mars. They were red, but crosshatched in blue, to denote possible allies or neutrals. But there were _six_ of them, not four. There were only supposed to be four! The three of the delegation and Gunstar One.

"What the?" Sara forced herself to remain in place as the officer started speaking back and forth in Ko-dan. She understood the words, but not the context. She waited and Profiri nodded her approval.

"The codes provided by Commander Rogan worked. We have access to League sensor buoys in system. Six League ships detected, Matriarch." The captain said finally to Profiri. "One liner as expected but _five_ gunstars. They are broadcasting Starfighter Legion identity transponders. One of them _is_ Gunstar One."

" _Four_?" Sara shook her head. "The escort was only two..." Then she paused and groaned. "Oh _mom!_ " Profiri looked at her and Sara fought hard not to put a hand to her face. Who knew what that might symbolize in Ko-Dan culture? "My mother set up the escort and she _defines_ the word 'paranoid'. I wouldn't put it past her to have added a couple of extra gunstars without telling _anybody_ but the crews."

"The more I hear about your mother, the more I think I might like her." Profiri laughed. She tensed. "But might they not be Xurians?"

"Not a chance." Sara replied instantly. "Xur has tried many times to infiltrate the Legion. It doesn't work very well." Profiri looked at her and Sara smiled, a feral grin. "Mom shares our gifts if not our power level and she vets every new recruit. Any she has questions about simply vanish." She looked at Profiri and the Ko-Dan paused before realizing that Sara's mentor probably got involved in such cases.

"OH!" Profiri slowly nodded and then she shared Sara's feral smile. "I see. Any sign of other vessels, Captain?"

"Negative, Matriarch." The captain went back to his console at a gesture from her and Sara shook her head slowly.

"They haven't tripped his trap yet." Sara mused. Profiri nodded. "In the scenario I saw, the gunstars engaged just beyond the orbit of Earth's moon. I wonder..." She frowned in thought. "It would make a very spectacular lightshow in space. No way to hide such a thing from that close."

"From what you have said, your people do not know about interstellar life." Profiri said slowly. Sara nodded. "That… complicates things." Sara looked at her and Profiri shrugged. She had stolen the gesture from Sara since she liked it so much. "The Empire was always in the business of conquest, but not all conquests were with weapons. It did not end well on occasion when they looked to us as gods."

"Ouch." Sara said with feeling. "Yeah. Human history has a few of those situations too. It never ended well. Humans are incredibly diverse, but a mob is only as smart as the stupidest member of it." Profiri nodded. "So… What do we do? I was...distracted when he was talking to the commanders of the ship."

She had dozed off and by the time she had woken, it was time for her dad to go. She had barely been awake enough to kiss him goodbye and then he was gone.

"You are still injured, Sara Rogan." Profiri said with a sigh. "No one blames you for that. I do not understand all of your League and Legion rules, but I don't need to at this time. If possible, the Commander's plan hopes to keep the pyrotechnics from being visible to your people." Profiri said quietly. "If we manage to do battle with a large planet between us and your Earth, then only the most modern of sensors will detect anything."

"Which means we need to get his attention." Sara said with a nod.

"And I am happy to do so." Profiri said with a grim set to her features. Sara held out a hand and Profiri batted it away. "No. This is my task. You rest. If we need your power, you will need to be as rested as you can. Nalania. Another drink." She commanded.

"Oh, come on." Sara complained as Nalania came close, a tub of liquid in her hand that she held out to Sara wordlessly. "These things taste foul."

"They are not _supposed_ to taste good, Sara. They are supposed to replace vital nutrients and those are set up specifically for you.." Profiri sounded amused as Sara snarled, but opened the tube and started sucking it down. The Priestess took a deep breath and nodded to the Captain. "Captain? Are we in position?"

"Yes, Matriarch." The captain said with a nod. "The League ships have reoriented. The gunstars are turning our way. The liner is poised to flee. Priestess, I… I obey my orders, but..." He looked upset, and Sara could not blame him.

"It is with a heavy heart that I do this, Captain." Profiri said quietly. "Our race has always prided itself on our strength. On our ability to adapt and overcome any enemy. But _this_ enemy, we cannot fight with weapons or skill or honor. It is withing our very cells and beyond the power of our weapons." She bowed her head. "So we must countenance the unthinkable."

Every Ko-Dan bowed their head in shame and Sara jerked upright. She didn't know why, but she knew she had to speak.

"No Warrior can be as strong alone as in a group of his fellows." Sara said into the silence that fell after the priestess' words. "As long as honor is satisfied, there is no shame in asking for help to defeat a foe that cannot be bested alone." All the Ko-Dan on the bridge turned to stare at Sara and she bowed her head formally and put her right fist into her left palm in front of her chest in an age old symbol of honor and skill. " _I_ stand for you, You are _not_ alone!"

"You shame us, Sara Rogan." The captain said softly when no one else spoke. "You are not a Warrior and you speak as one."

"I am a foolish young female far too often, Captain." Sara replied, holding her bow. "I hope to learn wisdom someday."

"I think I speak for everyone here..." The Captain smiled at her. "When I say you are well on your way to it." He straightened his shoulders. "We are ready, Priestess."

"On my authority as First Priestess of the Empire, send this message to the League..." Profiri laid a hand on Sara's shoulder, her hand squeezing in approval and her mind calm, if sad.

"We are here to surrender."

* * *

Five simple words. Five _impossible_ words. Ko-Dan _did not_ surrender. That was known from as far back as the League had records of contact with the Ko-Dan. They never surrendered. They always fought to the last possible moment. They made tactical retreats and occasionally, they fled from scenes of rout, but they never, _ever_ surrendered. If surrounded and outgunned? They always charged, dying rather than living life as prisoners. The few prisoners that the League had taken in the long wars had died quickly in captivity despite everything their captors could do.

Sara could just imagine the sudden heated debates that erupted on the liner as the League delegation faced a completely new thing. She could imagine the consternation among the Legion forces as well. Joy mixed with the fear of a trap or trick.

It was very long five minutes on the bridge of the Command Ship. Sara did not move from where she stood, her hands still clasped over her chest. Profiri left her hand where it was. Even Nalania seemed subdued. The chime of an incoming communications sounded like an energy weapon discharge in the silence and Sara jumped a little. Profiri gave her shoulder a squeeze and released her.

"They are requesting holographic communication." The captain was at full attention as he turned to Profiri and Sara.

"Any chance of it being detected from the planet?" Profiri asked.

"Xur has similar technology." The captain's voice held hate and Sara understood completely. "He might have shared it."

"Xur doesn't share things." Sara said firmly. Everyone looked at her again and she shook her head. "If he has it, he will have hoarded it." She nodded to Profiri. "I am with you, Priestess."

 _Thank you._ Profiri's mental tone was sad and proud as she nodded to the captain. "Open communications."

A familiar hologram appeared over the command console in the middle of the bridge. Ambassador Enduran was old. He had been old twenty years before when Alex had been recruited to help save the League. Now? Sara had never seen an older Rylan. But his eyes were alight as he stared at Profiri. They widened slightly on seeing Sara, but he did not react. Had Alex been able to brief him?

"I must admit to surprise." Enduran said quietly. _In perfect Ko-Dan!_ More than one of the Ko-Dan on the bridge gasped at that, but then returned to their duties. Sara, for her part, was not surprised. Enduran had always sought knowledge above all else. "Ko-Dan do not surrender."

"In any historical situation, that would be true." Profiri replied in her perfect Rylan. Was that a twinkle in Enduran's eyes? Had to be Sara's imagination. "But this is not any situation that has happened before. I am Profiri, Priestess Matriarch of the Ko-Dan. First Priestess of the Empire. The Emperor has ordered this, we obey no matter our personal wishes."

"I am Enduran, Ambassador of the Star League. I must ask..." Enduran sounded unsure for a moment, but his Ko-Dan was still fluent. "Is that _Sara Rogan_ standing beside you?" Profiri looked at Sara who nodded.

"I do not know what you have been told, Ambassador." Sara spoke in Ko-Dan as well and Enduran's eyes widened. "Things have changed. Your son used a biological weapon on them and they are doomed as a race."

"What?" Enduran's exclamation was in Rylan, but no one minded.

"The world they took was infected with a bioweapon." Sara continued, her words stumbling. She switched to Rylan and Profiri nodded encouragement. "They believe Xur did it. Even if he did not? His agents _did_ release another across their Empire. Every Ko-Dan world is now infected with a sterilization agent."

"Oh my god." Enduran actually looked pale in the holo.

"You have been tricked." Sara said quietly. "We have all been tricked. Xur pulled you here to ambush and potentially kill you. He has been building forces here for a long time."

"Sara..." Enduran shook his head. "Your mother could not stop the negotiations." Sara felt her eyes bulge and Enduran nodded. "They are landing in less than an hour. Near the city of San Francisco. Your mother insisted on going."

"They can't do that." Sara said weakly. "They can't. He will kill them all!"

"No, he won't." Profiri snapped. "Captain. Take us in! Launch fighters! Protect that shuttle! _At all costs, protect that shuttle!_ " The bridge exploded into activity and in moments, Ko-dan Deckfighters started swarming from the ship.

"We cannot approach Earth, Priestess!" Enduran started, but was cut off.

" _You_ cannot!" Profiri snapped. " _We_ _**can**_!" Enduran stared at her and then at Sara who remained impassive. "We have no formal treaties in place, but Alex Rogan's family are to be protected! By _Imperial Decree_ they are to be protected!" At that, Enduran actually winced.

"Priestess..." What was Enduran asking? Sara wasn't sure.

"We will do what we can, but if the secret is out, then it is out." Profiri shook her head. "Every Ko-Dan on this ship will die to protect the mother of Sara Rogan if needed."

"And Sara?" Enduran asked, his shoulders falling.

"I stand with them!" Sara replied in sharp Ko-Dan. Every officer on the bridge cheered at that. Nalania laid a slow hand on Sara's shoulder as Sara stared Enduran down. "You know I am right. I will do what is right. What must be done." She spoke an ancient Rylan phrase. It had no modern translation, but it basically meant 'No matter the cost'

"You _are_ your mother's daughter, Sara Rogan." Enduran said heavily. "You know what this means though." Sara nodded even as Profiri and Nalania both looked at her. "Dammit, Sara, I didn't want to do this."

"The Ko-Dan have been the League's enemies since time immemorial, Ambassador." Sara switched back to Rylan. She wasn't clear on all of the Ko-Dan words. "They cannot fight what your son did to them but I will not see them herded like cattle or penned up like pigs. They are no better or worse than any other sentient being. They are _far_ better than some humans I studied." She made a face. "Far better than Xur."

"For what it is worth? I agree, Sara." Enduran said simply. "It is done." Was he _crying?_ "Don't let us catch you, Sara. Your mom..."

"Wouldn't react well, no." Sara agreed.

"What have you _done_?" Profiri asked, her tone worried. She tried Sara's mind, but Sara was closed up tight and the priestess didn't try harder.

"I just betrayed the League." Sara felt nothing. She should have felt something. Anything! She felt numb.

At that, the entire bridge went suddenly and completely still.

"No." Profiri said weakly. "No. You haven't. Sara! You _haven't_!"

"Enduran was my boss. My immediate superior." Sara said quietly as Profiri tried to come to grips with what had just happened. She nodded to the holo. "No matter what else happens, I just disobeyed his orders to stand with you. He wanted me to leave you. I refused. There goes my pension." She quipped weakly.

"The right thing is rarely the easy thing, Sara. The penalty for such is clear, Sara. If we catch you, we will lock you up for the rest of your life." Enduran looked tired now. "You are young and things may change. They likely will. Priestess Matriarch Profiri?"

"This isn't right." Profiri said weakly. "She hasn't done anything _wrong!_ " She begged.

"No. she hasn't." Enduran agreed. He was crying softly. "And yes, I fully expect Maggie kick my ass for not finding a way around this. You _had_ to say that over an open com. Didn't you, you silly human! _Everyone_ heard that."

"They are not a nice people, Enduran." Sara said flatly. "But they can be a good people."

"I hope so, Sara." Enduran wiped his face. "I truly do. We cannot interfere. We are bound not to."

"We are _not_ bound by the same strictures." Profiri laid a hand on Sara's shoulder and Sara realized she was trembling. "And no matter what? Sara Rogan is not alone."

"I shouldn't say this to beings who may yet prove to be enemies of all I hold dear." Enduran said with sigh. "But good luck." He nodded to Sara. "To all of you."

The holo faded and Sara slumped. She felt Profiri pull her into an embrace and the priestess' mind was taught with fear for Sara.

"Why?" Profiri asked weakly. "That doesn't make any sense. You haven't betrayed them!" Sara could not speak, simply laid her head against Profiri's shoulder and cried. " _Why_ curse you!" Profiri demanded, her mind battering Sara's now.

"Just as Ko-Dan are sworn not to surrender, League officials are sworn never to serve the Ko-Dan." Sara said sadly. "In _any_ way." More than one person around the bridge inhaled in shock at that. "This is the only way. The only way to beat Xur is _together_ and I cannot officially serve the League _and_ your people. Dad knew. He will tell Mom. But it hurts, Profiri. It really hurts!" She sobbed. She didn't use the honorific, but no one cared.

"This is _wrong!_ " Profiri snapped. "This cannot stand!" _Sara, Oh Sara…_ Her mind eased into Sara's as the girl's defenses came down in her grief. _You are not alone._ The priestess promised. _We will find a way to fix this. Somehow._

"Alert!" A call came from a sensor operator. "Tracking reports multiple ships launching from Earth's moon."

For her part, Sara just hugged Profiri and tried to focus herself.

"And so it begins..."


	20. Chapter 20

**Choice**

Sara watched from behind Profiri as the situation unfolded on the holographic display. It wasn't the worst case scenario she had dreaded, but it wasn't good. Instead of ten gunstars, _fifteen_ flew in formation with thirty League civilian ships of various that were broadcasting Xurian identification codes now. Some were the distinctive two engine variety, others were less clear on their origin. All showed signs of being armed. But the Ko-Dan had apparently taken them by surprise. They were not closing at full speed.

The League shuttle was arcing towards the planet's surface but their velocity was lower than Sara had expected. It had to be League pilots aboard. Legion pilots would have firewalled their throttles by now. Unarmed shuttles had no place in the middle of such a firestorm as was about to erupt. They also had to be nervous with their 'escort'.

The _entire_ Command Ship's complement of Deckfighters was now arrayed between the League shuttle and Xurian ships. Forty five of them. Not a single fighter was protecting the Command Ship as it decelerated from its mad dash across the solar system. None of the League ships had moved. Had her dad's plan failed then?

"And they call _me_ insane." Sara did not react as Xur's familiar face appeared over the holo table. "What do you think you are doing, Sara Rogan?"

"Vengeance will be mine, Deceiver." Sara said in Ko-Dan. "You stole my future. Now you have taken my friends and family from me. It ends here!" Xur paused whatever he was about to say and stared at her. "I could _hope_ we can take you alive to explain to the Ko-Dan Emperor what you have done, but I _refuse_ to waste lives trying if it is pointless." She paused and turned to the Captain of the ship. "Captain, do we have a fix on the source of that transmission?"

The captain stared at her and then at Profiri who nodded, silent. Sara turned back to Xur who stared at her wide-eyed.

"We do, Sara Rogan. He has hidden it, but we have traced it." The Captain braced to attention. "Excellency..." That _wasn't_ a normal Ko-Dan honorific. Nalania shifted slightly, as if to guard Sara, but from what? A wall screen showed the East Coast of the US. Oh my god! The signal source was in _New York_ _City_ _!_

"Anything with Rylan life signs that launches from that position, you must be prepared to burn it out of the sky! Ship, escape pod, whatever. You must _not_ let him flee, even if he has hostages!" Sara said with a growl worthy of a Ko-Dan. "And if a single one of his ships fires as much as a ranging laser at that shuttle, you _must_ destroy that source of transmission immediately." A gasp went around the bridge.

"Sara Rogan, the source is in a city." Profiri said softly. "A very large one."

"And how many will survive whatever he unleashes next?" Sara snapped. "He has already killed billions, maybe _tr_ _illions_. What are few _humans_ to one such as him?" She spun to Profiri who was watching her carefully. "What authority do I have?"

"You cry vengeance for us both?" Profiri asked. Sara nodded savagely. "Then you have mine, Sara Rogan. I answer only to the Emperor and now, so do _you_. Do what you will." She moved to stand beside Sara and Nalania nodded to her.

"Very well." Sara spun back to the holo and her smiles was a chilling thing. "Arm the meteor gun."

"What?" Xur actually looked shocked. "You _wouldn't_!"

"You think you have a monopoly on savagery, asshole?" Sara snapped. " _My_ ancestors were slaughtering each other over slights and insults, pretty rocks or shiny metal while _you_ _rs_ were pissing away your future. How long to charge the mass drivers?" She demanded of the captain.

"How many shots do you wish?" The captain asked quietly.

"He will be a bunker somewhere. If needed, I want that city _cratered deep_." Sara replied. "I want any and every bunker to be splinters and I want _him_ to be red _paste_ on the _floor_." A growl sounded deep in her throat and it was echoed from all around the bridge.

"Five full power rounds then." The captain said with a nod. "For a city that size from this range. Ten time parts to charge."

"You have ten time parts, Deceiver." Sara said to the holo who was gaping at her. "Then you will _die_. Can you cut that com? His blather is bothering me." She asked as Xur started to rant. The Captain made a gesture and the holo vanished.

"Sara Rogan..." Profiri said in a very quiet voice. "There are millions of non-combatants in that city."

"I know." Sara slumped a little. "But he has to have more bioweapons with him. He will not have let them loose." She paused as a mind impinged hers. _Oprisa?_ Profiri jerked but Sara waved at her and the Ko-Dan relaxed, but only a little.

 _What are you_ **doing** _, Sara?_ Oprisa demanded angrily. _We are securing the base on the moon as I speak. Sara, you can't_ _do that_ _!_

 _The League is not involved in what is about to happen._ Sara said firmly. _Did you hear?_ A wave of sadness came from the other and Sara sighed. _I am sorry, but I had to._

 _I know. But Sara…_ Oprisa said weakly. _How many must die to kill him? We can get at him, take him. It will take time._

 _And how many humans will die when he releases whatever super weapons his evil scum have dreamed up?_ Sara asked. _Did you get_ _Kurztimov_ _?_

 _No._ Oprisa sounded resigned now. _He fled. Sara, don't do this. We have alternatives._

 _Do what you must, Agent Oprisa._ Sara said sadly. _I will not resist if it comes to that. But he must be stopped and stopped_ **now** _._

 _You are not acting rationally, Sara. You are hurt and sick. We can-_ The psi's voice cut out in static as Profiri laid a hand on Sara's shoulder.

"She has to try and stop you." Profiri said sadly. Sara nodded, unsure of her voice. "Oh Sara Rogan. I am sorry. Vengeance is a hard path to tread."

"One of my people once wrote, 'when one starts on the road to vengeance, one should dig two graves. One for his target and one for himself'." Sara said quietly. Profiri and Nalania both nodded. "This way lies madness, but I see no other road."

"Have you tried?" Nalania asked. Sara stared at her and the Ko-Dan warrior shook her head. "We have time. You can try now. You have..." She looked at the chrono nearby. "Nine time parts."

Sara took a deep breath and then focused her mind. She paused as Profiri held out her hands. Sara smiled and took them. The Ko-Dan could help her guide the vision somewhat.

Sara took another deep breath and…

Something was _wrong_! She wasn't where she should be. She wasn't in a vision! She stood on a _golden plain_ and she wasn't alone. She stared as a human in a Legion uniform appeared on front of her. She had Sara's face! Another appeared and this one too had her face, but wore Ko-Dan armor!

"What… the…?" Sara stammered, but neither of the two spoke, they looked in between and a form shimmered into being. Another Sara, but this one! This one wore a gown that was unlike anything Sara had ever seen. It was beautiful.

"Hello Sara." The other her said in a gentle voice. "You have a choice to make. You have the steel within yourself to bomb New York to get Xur." The Ko-Dan armored Sara nodded. "But you also fear the loss and horror you will cause. The totally justified fear of aliens that will result." The Legion uniformed Sara nodded.

"I can't see any other way." Sara collapsed to her knees, sobbing. "He has to have other bioweapons."

"I am sure he does." The gowned Sara said heavily. "But there is another way, Sara. A much harder way. You have seen it or this would not be happening right now."

"I don't _understand_!" Sara pleaded through her tears.

"Yes you do." The other bent down to touch Sara on the shoulder and a shock traveled through her. "And I am sorry. It will get far, far harder. The Ko-Dan are not the worst thing out there, not even close. You can save them Sara. You know how."

" _I don't!_ " Sara screamed.

"Yes you do." The gowned Sara rose back to her feet and raised her hand. "Ave Imperator." She smiled at Sara. "You remember the rest?'

"'morituri te salutant'?" Sara inhaled sharply. "No. No! I can't!" 'Hail Caesar, those who are about to die salute you.'

"You know you must." The gowned woman said quietly. "Your power will aid you. The Star League and Ko-Dan Empire will aid you but beware, they have their own agendas and those will not always mesh with yours."

"I don't know how to be a _queen_." Sara said weakly.

"Trust yourself." The other Sara's were fading now. "You will find your way through the dark."

Sara jerked back to herself with a gasp. Profiri stared at her, confused.

"How long?" Sara snapped. Nalania and Profiri both stared at her. "How long until the meteor gun is charged?"

"You blinked, nothing more." Profiri said slowly. "Did you have a vision? I didn't sense anything."

"No." Sara said quietly. "But I did see something. Something that changes everything." She looked at Nalania. "He knew, didn't he? The Emperor? That is why he assigned you to me."

"He suspected." Nalania replied. Profiri looked confused but the Guardian just nodded. "Seer visions are unclear at the best of times. But the word that was used for 'ally' in that ancient text meant 'one of equal rank'. When his daughter saw you the first time..." Profiri inhaled and Nalania nodded. "She is not your equal as a seer, but she has the curse. She saw an image of a human who might have been Sara Rogan standing in court regalia as an _equal_ to the Emperor. It _was_ a bit of a shock."

"She didn't say anything to _me_." Profiri paused and then she snorted without humor. "Of _course_ she didn't speak. She was under _orders_. Sara?"

"There is a way to end this." Sara said quietly. " _Without_ killing millions of non-combatants. _One_ life… for many. Is he still blathering?" She asked the captain who looked at another officer who nodded. "Fine. Get him back on." He stared at her and she shook her head. "You may stand down the meteor gun, Captain. Weapons of mass destruction will not be needed today." He looked relieved, but then he paused and his face turned blank.

"If we discharge the capacitors, it will take quite some time to charge them to full power again." The captain said slowly. "With all due respect, Excellency..." He bowed to Sara who frowned but did not react otherwise. "We can keep them charged for some time."

"Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it." Sara muttered. All of the Ko-Dan eyed her and she shrugged. "Never mind. An old human saying. Good point, Captain. I defer to your greater understanding of military matters."

"Excellency..." Profiri said softly. "I didn't recognize the word at first. Sara? What are you going to do?"

"My job." Sara turned back to the holographic table as Xur's face appeared on it again. He was actually _frothing at the mouth_. She cast out with her mind and found whats he sought. She spoke before he could. "Be. Silent." Xur jerked in the holo and everyone was staring at Sara as she slowly shook her head. "You kept them on your person as a memento of your triumph, That was a _very_ bad idea."

She reached out with her mind through the two small bits of her flesh that she had taken control of his mind through. She slowly reached out further. She sensed other minds all around him, focused on him. She grasped hold of each. Each mind she touched, she twisted, just a little. Just a minor little thing. Changed one word in the programming, _all_ of it.. From 'Xur' to 'Sara'!

"What… are… you…?" Xur managed to croak out as Sara's control spread further and further.

"I should have known." Sara said sadly. "He isn't _in_ New York. The city we would have flattened." Profiri stared at her, horrified and Sara shook her head. "He has an underwater cable that runs..." She paused and then nodded. "Ah, Bermuda. Never been there. Is it nice?" She asked the frozen would-be Emperor of Earth.

" _Get out of my head!_ " Xur screamed.

"Oh no. I am not done yet." Sara was pushing her limits now, but she continued, reaching out to each and every Xurian she could detect. All were tied to him by bonds that, while not psychic, worked just the same as if they were. Each time, she tweaked the same small point and moved on, leaving the mind to gasp behind her as its entire world view shifted. As their loyalty shifted from _him_ to _her_. Humans, Rylans, Ko-Dan, other races… The list went on and on as Xur feebly groaned out threats.

Profiri reached out with a slow hand to touch Sara's face. Her hand came away red. "Sara Rogan, you are bleeding."

"This… needs to be done." Sara forced herself to focus even as dizziness swept through her. "So many… I can...I need..."

"Stop." Nalania said firmly. "Enough, Excellency." She laid a hand on Sara's arm and Sara gasped as her power faltered.

" _What have you done?_ " Xur screamed from his holo. Then he vanished from it and the sounds of a scuffle came.

"Alive!" Sara shouted. " _Alive if you can!_ My first _gift_ to the Ko-Dan!"

"Excellency..." The captain's voice was awed. "The Xurian ships..."

"Are resetting their transponders." Sara finished for him. "They don't serve him anymore. They will retreat, wait for orders." Indeed, the multitude of small craft were falling back towards the moon. "No." She was weaving on her feet but she stayed upright. Nalania clamped an iron hand on her arm and Sara nodded, grateful for the help. "Any with limited life support must land. But not at the moonbase. The League controls it now. I will not surrender my people. Not to _anyone_."

"Sara, you have overextended." Profiri sounded awed. "I never thought to see _your_ power drained."

Everything stopped as a dark skinned human appeared on the holo. He clasped a hand to his chest as he nodded to Sara.

"Empress, the Deceiver in in custody." He said firmly. "What are your orders?" Sara looked at Profiri who gaped at her.

"In a few minutes, I will send transportation for him. Keep him secure." Sara commanded. "The Ko-Dan Emperor would dearly like a word with him. Casualties?"

"None from that." The man replied but then made a face. "He made a bit of a mess before."

"He made messes everywhere." Sara replied. "We will have to make what restitution we can for what he did. We must."

"As you command, Empress." The man waited and Sara sighed.

" _This_ is going to be a mess. What is your name and rank?" She asked.

"Lieutenant Gliss, Empress." The man said with a nod.

"There will be repercussions from what the Deceiver did from both the League and the Empire." Sara said with a nod. "But for now? Consolidate your positions. Land the ships wherever you can where they cannot be easily accessed and are defensible."

"I am only a lieutenant, Empress." The man said weakly. "All of the other commanders were in the room with him and they… Well..." He grimaced.

"He didn't take my cutting him off well." Sara made a matching face. " _Any_ survivors?" The man shook his head. "Very well, _Captain_ Gliss. We are _both_ going to be learning very quickly on this job."

"Are you well, Empress?" The man asked, ignoring his sudden promotion. "There is blood coming from your nose."

"I overextended my powers." Sara said with a sigh. "I will survive, but I am not going to be doing anything strenuous for a while. The war is _over_."

'I give it ten time parts.' Nalania muttered not quite under her breath.

'You are on.' The captain replied the same way. ' _Five_ time parts.' Sara waved at them with a disgusted look that turned into a smile as the bridge cheered in mass.

"We will await your transport, Empress." Captain Gliss said firmly. "And I will see to his security personally."

"Be wary, captain. I disabled his personal self destructs but he will have other traps on his person." Sara warned. "He will have tricks aplenty."

"No, he _won't_ , Empress. He _will_ be delivered as ordered. _Alive_ and _mostly_ intact." Gliss said flatly. He saluted again and the holo vanished.

"You are but mortal." Sara said as she wilted. Nalania took hold of her and held her upright as Profiri came close, her face worried.

"What was that?" Profiri asked as she started bathing Sara's skull in soothing psychic energy.

"Thousands of years ago on my world, there was an empire called Rome." Sara would have shaken her head but it was too heavy. "They were the first so called superpower. They conquered much of the world that was known at the time. For quite a while, they had a tradition that after a general won a major victory, he was paraded through the capital city of the empire. The people cheered and the emperor gave him gifts and all that. But all the while, the transport he rode carried another. A slave, the lowest of the low. Said slave was ordered to speak in the general's ear as the people cheered. He would say 'This too shall pass. You are but mortal.' So am I. I cannot afford pride. Not now."

Both the priestess and the warrior looked at one another. Then in unison, they bowed to Sara. For her part, Sara just shook her head.

"We need to..." Sara started, only to be stopped in place by Nalania's iron grip. "Nalania! I need to coordinate..." She paused as Profiri laid a hand on her forehead. "No! I..."

"Rest, Empress Sara." Profiri said as darkness claimed Sara.

"You are not alone."

* * *

She landed on the plain and this time, she was surrounded by psis. Ko-Dan psis, League psis. Oprisa stepped forward, her face scared. Sara just nodded to her mentor and fell to her knees.

"Sara. Oh _Sara_." Oprisa was hugging her gently as Sara started to cry, pouring out her pain, fear and loss. Her anger at what had been done to her, what she had done, what she had _nearly_ done.

She felt rather than saw Profiri join the embrace and the collected psychics of the Empire and League cried with her. Her mom was there and she too was crying as she held Sara.

She didn't know what the future held. But Sara was not afraid.

She wasn't alone.


	21. Chapter 21

**Meetings**

Sara Rogan stared out across the expanse of ocean and took a deep breath. It tasted odd to her, but good. The wind was cool of her face and she smiled as she saw a set of splashes in the distance. Dolphins or something like them were playing nearby. Her smile turned tender as she saw a small dolphin jump out of the water next to larger one. A mother and her calf, playing.

Even here, even now, life went on.

"Empress." The voice of her chief guard was polite, but also pointed. Sara bit back a sigh. It did no good to argue with Nalania. Sara nodded and turned to enter the hatch, only to pause as Nalania coughed and a servant held out a coat for her. Sara let the very young woman slid the coat onto her arms and then let the woman button it up properly.

"There? Happy?" Sara wasn't really upset with Nalania and both knew it. She was stressed.

"Barely satisfied." The Ko-Dan replied with aplomb and Sara had to bit back a chuckle as the servant girl giggled. "You know you shouldn't be up there without a coat."

"Once, Nalania." Sara said in a very tired voice. "I nearly froze _once_. I learned my lesson, it isn't that cold up here."

"It is wet." Nalania replied, still stern.

"I know." Sara slumped a bit. The servant girl looked ashen. What was her name? Nia? Nira? Nara? Sara couldn't remember. N- something. She wasn't one of Sara's oath sworn servants, a family member of one such who had come along for the ride. "It is all right, girl. I get moody when we are under for too long. But I don't take it out on little girls unless they are naughty." She eyed the girl who froze. "Have _you_ been naughty?" She asked in a conspiratorial tone.

"Ah..." The girl's face flushed so brightly that Sara was amazed she did not combust in the spot. "Mama told me to bring you your coat right away and I… I was watching the animals. I didn't do as I should have." She wilted under Sara's eyes.

"I was too." Sara admitted. "They are pretty." The girl nodded. "Go on. This will be our little secret."

The girl darted away, far more comfortable in the close confines of the ship that Sara was yet. Then again Sara was far more set in her ways than the girl was. Sara made a face as Nalania checked the hatch behind them and then hit a control. The voice of the ship's captain came over the intercom.

"Empress is inboard, flight deck clear and sealed. All personnel accounted for. All hatches are green. We are clear to dive."

Two klaxons sounded and Sara bit back another sigh as the deck beneath her tilted a little. Not enough to be dangerous, but it was off putting. No one had possessed a clue. No one had imagined that Xur's base of operation on Earth was _mobile_! Not only that, it was _submersible_! Hitting it with a meteor gun round would be next to impossible which had been the whole point. The Ko-Dan had _really_ wanted Xur even before he had poisoned them.

Sara wasn't sure if Xur was still alive. It _had_ only been a month since the climactic events that had given her his fledgling empire. Profiri had promised on receiving the bound and gagged would-be Emperor from Sara that the scum would take a _very_ long time to die. Then he was gone and Sara was actually glad of that. She had enough problems to clean up.

The League had been remarkably hands off for this whole thing. They had tried a few times to extradite members of Sara's retinue. A few had actually surrendered to the League, their own senses of guilt demanding they be punished for their crimes. Others had come seeking out Sara as soon as they had heard what had happened, begging her for sanctuary. The Ko-Dan in particular had nasty ways of dealing with agents who they determined had been working for Xur. Sara quietly archived all of the footage sent to her of those proceedings without watching. If she determined they were guilty of war crimes, and she could be very persistent in determining guilt, she turned them over, League or Ko-Dan. Some of them would haunt her for the rest of her days. Others?

Doctor Katzimov had not been one of the ones whose mind she had altered. He had fled, straight into Oprisa's arms. Somehow, against all odds, he had managed to escape the irate psionic agent and find his way to Sara who had prompted boxed him up and shipped him right back to the psi. Literally. She didn't _remember_ him hurting her, but he had.

She was smiling a bit as she entered the massive bay that sat in the middle of the ship and paused on seeing that it held. The flight deck elevator had come down and held two ships. The Ko-Dan shuttle and League gunstar looked diametrically opposed to one another, which was the truth. But it as the two beings who were eyeing each other in between the two ships that had Sara freezing. Profiri and Sara's _mother!_ Her father stood near the gunstar and several Ko-Dan stood near the hatch to the shuttle. _All_ looked nervous.

"Uh oh." Sara muttered. Nalania stepped forward, took in the scene and nodded, but remained silent. "You are lots of help." She complained as she started for the pair.

"There are some battles even a Ko-Dan Guardian knows she cannot win." Nalania replied calmly. " _Your_ battle, Empress."

"Thanks." Sara said sourly as she stepped into the full view of the strange tableau. All eyes were pulled to her as she strode to stand in between the Ko-Dan and her mother. "Logistics Commander Rogan? Priestess Matriarch Profiri? Is there a problem?"

"You tell me, Sara." Maggie said savagely. "Is there? After what he did to you, I wanted his _privates_!"

Sara sighed. She should have known. Her mother had a vengeful streak a mile wide when her family was threatened. A cough drew attention to Profiri who nodded. Sara's eyes went huge as the Ko-Dan raised a hand and a young male Ko-Dan stepped forward, a small case in his hands. He held it out to Profiri who took it. She spun it and opened it. Inside, was a stasis field that held…small fleshy bits. Sara inhaled sharply but Maggie slowly relaxed.

"He hurt so many." Profiri said in her excellent Rylan. "Empress Sara Rogan, myself, so many others that we will never know the names of. Will you take these as a gift, Matriarch Rogan? I used no anesthesia."

More than one of the males watching gawped at that, but Sara understood. Did she _ever_. They had found Profiri's organs in another stasis casket aboard this ship. With the help of a specialized Ko-Dan psychic surgeon, they had managed to reattach her organs and she was expecting yet _another_ child now. Sara's own ovaries had been recovered, but they had been decayed by what she had done to Xur. The rush of power through her flesh had atrophied the delicate genetic structures far beyond recovery, Sara figured she might be able to regenerate them, someday. But not soon. She was still weak from her exertion a month ago and she may have done permanent damage to her mind. She was happy for Profiri. So very happy. The Ko-Dan psi had broken down and cried when she had woken after the surgery and Sara felt nothing but joy for the elder whose hope had been returned.

"I will." Maggie said slowly, taking the case and closing it. "I will display them somewhere prominent as well. No matter _what_ the League may say about it."

"That is as it should be." Profiri said with a nod. "He hurt your daughter. Rest assured, he is paying for his crimes and he will hurt no more people."

"Is?" Maggie asked slowly.

" _Is_." Profiri replied with a growl. "Your daughter and I made him a promise. The Emperor saw no reason to deny us that promise. It _will_ take years."

"Enough about him." Sara said with a growl of her own. "That is the past. The future awaits."

"Sara..." Maggie stiffened and then shook herself. "Empress." She bowed her head.

"I can call this a royal decree. This counts as private, Mom." Sara pulled Maggie into an embrace and hugged her tight. "I didn't think even the League could cover this up, but they did." She felt her father step close and Sara smiled as he hugged them both. "But a publicity stunt for a science fiction convention?"

The presence of the Ko-Dan fighters had been explained away by quick talking operatives with in the US as a publicity stunt. No telescope had detected the Command Ship since it's shields had been set to absorb or deflect light as well as modern sensor waves. There were still theories being spread across the internet, but Sara wasn't worried. There were still theories circulating about _Roswell_ for goodness sake and she _knew_ that that was pure bunk. Xur had spread some of those himself! Much of what she had found in his quarters would haunt her until her dying day and she would never speak of it. To anyone. His madness had been pervasive.

They had buried four bodies the day after Sara had searched the quarters and even Nalania had been subdued by what she and Sara had seen.

"The League has its faults." Alex Rogan said with a shrug she could feel. "But they are good at some things." He gave them both a squeeze. "But um... We have a formal meeting, don't we?"

"Killjoy." Maggie said repressively as Sara released her and stepped back. "Of course it helps with visiting that we can land ships on the deck and your nation simply disappears into the deep. Any trouble with Earth militaries?"

"No." Sara shrugged. "They have been remarkably quiet. Every so often a submarine comes nosing about, but my escorts always shadow them and they know better than to get frisky. The last crew that did woke up on a deserted island a day afterward with no memory of how they got there. One odd thing. Every single weapon on their submarine was melted from torpedoes to sidearms. But of course, we have no idea how that could have happened."

"Of course not." Maggie chuckled darkly as she hefted the case.

"You want me to stash that, Mags?" Alex asked. "I need to check some things anyway." He made a face. "Peace is not what the Legion was good at."

"You can ask the psi who is trying to escape my notice to carry it." Sara said quietly and everything stopped in the bay. All eyes turned to the gunstar where a small Rylan form was standing near the closest landing strut. Sara shook her head. "If you try to leave this bay without supervision, you will die." She warned the psi who sighed and morphed into Oprisa. Sara smiled, but there was little mirth in it. "Figured it would be you."

"You flew with us? Used us to get in!" Alex sounded a step from rage, but Maggie laid a hand on his arm and he subsided.

"She is doing her job, Dad." Sara said quietly. "Protecting the League from any threats. Don't blame her for doing her job to the best of her ability." She did not miss that Nalania had a weapon in hand now, for all the good it would do against someone like Oprisa. If the psi decided Sara needed to be dead, Sara was. Period. "Do you count me a threat to the Star League, Agent Oprisa?"

"I don't know." Oprisa said flatly. "You are not the girl I trained."

"I grew up." Sara replied. "It happens. I do not believe I am a threat to the League, but you cannot know that. A single pulse of mental energy would save many lives, no?"

"Would it?" Oprisa asked. "Would you have bombed New York?"

"You know the answer to that." Sara snapped. "You knew it when I threatened it. Yes, it was wrong. Yes, I would have been mistaken to do so. But I would have. And you knew the _truth_." At that, everyone froze. "You _knew_ he wasn't _in_ New York and you didn't _say_ anything. You would have let me kill all those people to protect your information source."

"Sara..." Oprisa started only to pause as Nalania growled. "Empress Sara." She corrected herself grimly. "You have confused a _lot_ of people, not just me."

"What Xur did was wrong, Agent Oprisa!" Sara said with heat. "Correcting the damage the bioweapon did was one small step in balancing the books he left."

She felt Profiri step to her side and the gratitude the Ko-Dan sent her way almost brought tears to her eyes. She couldn't bring back the dead and the Ko-Dan fleet was mostly gone but Sara had found an antagonist for the sterility agent in Xur's stockpiles. She had sent it to the Ko-Dan without anything but a simple, short message. She hadn't demanded anything, ordered anything. She had just done it. Even Nalania had been shocked at that, but the reaction… The reaction from the Emperor had stunned _everyone_. Sara was now technically a member of the Ko-Dan royal family if not bound quite so strictly by their customs. Something called a 'Sword Cousin'? An astute political move on the Emperor's part. With a few words, he bound her to him as surely as the astronomical debt he owed _her_ bound him to her. Not that she could ever leave Earth. If she did, the League would try to arrest her and that would _not_ end well. For lots of reasons, not the least how the Ko-Dan would react. He knew she knew that, so she was no threat to his power. He could afford to be magnanimous. Plus? It was honorable.

It wasn't every day a human saved his entire people after all.

"You did not release the bioweapon, Empress." Oprisa said softly. "It was not your responsibility."

"The only thing required for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing." Sara shot back and Oprisa slowly nodded. Then, to Sara's amazement, she knelt!

"Very true." Oprisa said quietly. "Do you take applicants?"

"You know I cannot trust you." Sara said sternly. "I want to. Oh god, I want to. But far too many lives depend on me now, Agent."

Almost a thousand former Xurians populated the ship and the small moonbase that Sara had managed to negotiate back from the League. The Legion had confiscated all of her gunstars, but they hadn't been able to take any of the other ships. Other former Xurians arrived on Earth daily and the numbers just kept going up. Sara assumed the numbers would taper off eventually, but until then? She was running out of safe places to put refugees. A number of remote South Pacific islands now had populations that would remain unnoticed if she had _any_ say in the matter. It was a good thing she had a small fleet of submersibles as well as her space faring one. Now she just had to keep them safe, fed, and happy...

"You need balance, Empress." Oprisa was still quiet. "Trust must be earned. You have Ko-Dan and former Xurians in your fold. You need another point of view. I am offering. Whatever restraints or restrictions you wish, I will abide by. My superiors have accepted my wish to retire from active duty."

Sara looked at her mom who looked blank. Likely she didn't know any of this. The League psis wouldn't have compromised her neutrality for something like this.

"Nalania?" Sara asked after a moment. "Your thoughts?"

"What she says is true." The Guardian said quietly. "No one is discounting her bravery and no one who hears the story can discount her feelings for you. If she hadn't felt for you, she would have thrashed you a lot less." Sara flushed at that, she had not been a good pupil at times. "You _do_ need to keep your mind and options open. They also know more about certain aspects of psi than the Ko-Dan psis do." Sara sighed and then nodded.

"Rise, Agent." Sara said finally. Oprisa did. "I will watch you and so will the others, but you are welcome here as long as you abide by our rules. We are not formal except on specific occasions. One of which is tonight. I hope you brought a gown."

"Empress Sara." Oprisa chided Sara gently as her clothing shimmered and changed into an elaborate ballgown. Illusions could be so much fun.

"Right, that was silly." Sara started off and everyone followed her. After a moment of walking, the ship was huge and it would take quite a while for them to reach the guest quarters, the silence in the hall became pointed. Sara turned to see everyone eyeing Maggie who was flushed a little. "Mom?"

"I wanted to say it in private, but the priestess has likely guessed. I know Agent Oprisa knows." Maggie Rogan sounded unsure, a first in Sara's experience. "Um... Sara?" Sara had stopped in midstep.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" She asked in a soft voice. She _was_ a precognitive after all.

"Sara!" Maggie exclaimed and then flushed brighter. "I don't know. It is early days yet and... I… Wait..." She stared at Sara who smiled. " _Don't_ tell me." This was a command.

"As you wish, Queen Mother Rogan." Sara demurred and everyone laughed.

"Sara, there are those who who are asking how your secession will work." Maggie looked worried but Sara nodded. Profiri looked worried too. "That always was the most important thing in any royalty. A clear line of secession to prevent civil unrest." Profiri nodded. She knew about that. Ko-Dan secession wars _defined_ the word messy. Not that humans had been much better.

"I know. This is new. I cannot bear an heir at the moment, but there are other options." Sara started off again and everyone followed again. "I am not going to force anyone into a mold. It doesn't work. Earth royalty found that out far too many times. I am not an Earth monarch."

"Thank god." Alex muttered sotto voice and Maggie swatted at his arm. He sidled away from her as she raised her hand in warning. He missed the look she shot Profiri. Sara did not.

"That said, there are some benefits to both constitutional monarchies and to republics." Sara shrugged. "I am in charge, but we shall have to see how this works out." She shook her head. "At least the League's cover up kept me out of the limelight except as a new country leader."

"Did they ever decide on a name that you didn't squash out of hand?" Profiri asked with a mild sort of eagerness. "I kind of liked Sarance myself."

"I am _not_ going to name a country after _myself_!" Sara snapped. "I am _not_ Donald Trump."

"Thank god." Alex muttered again and _this_ time, _Profiri_ slapped his arm. He looked hurt but everyone laughed. "You could call it 'Rogan's Royal Roost'."

"Only of you want to get hit by _me_." Sara muttered darkly and Alex recoiled comically. She paused and then sighed. "I was thinking… Something like 'Endurance'."

Maggie and Alex both bowed their heads. Oprisa likewise. When the dust had settled and Xur had been sent off to the Ko-Dan, Ambassador Enduran had been found in his quarters aboard the liner. He had passed away in his sleep. Apparently he had turned off the medical monitoring just in case such happened once his son was 'handled'.

"Simple." Profiri said into the silence. "And apt. He would be proud of you."

"I hope so." Sara sighed. "But anyway… Yes. We have a list of country names that we are vetting. But the ship name stays." She patted a bulkhead with a name plate on it. 'Xur's Folly' was prominently displayed. "And I finally have a full account of what the League confiscated. I want most of it back." She warned the Legion officers.

"Sara." Maggie protested.

"Not the gunstars, mom… Although… I _do_ have almost thirty partially trained Starfighters to trade, only _slightly_ brainwashed now." She used her best 'used car salesman' voice and Maggie winced.

"Don't turn into Centauri, Sara. _Please_?"

"No promises."


	22. Chapter 22

**Family**

She felt wrong in this attire, but this was needed. The ship was huge and the view couldn't be beaten. From twenty meters under the water of the Pacific Ocean, the light from the sun arced through the transparent bulkheads overhead and painted the corridor in shimmering light. Sara smoothed the gown over her arms as Nalania nodded to her and they moved to the large doors that led to the assembly hall. She wasn't sure why or how Xur had built such a submarine, but in many ways, it was useful. The ship doubled as a haven for so many former Xurians. It also, coincidentally, would work as a clandestine point of contact by both interstellar polities on Earth. It was the perfect base of operations.

Sara still did not like Earth, but she was stuck here. If she left, the League would arrest her, the Ko-Dan would try to rescue her and the war would start up again. She wasn't going to be responsible for that. Add to that, she had families to worry about now.

She stiffened. She heard someone crying.

"Nalania?" Sara asked.

"I hear it." The guard moved to locker and swept it open, her weapon ready. But the small child that huddled inside was no threat. He wasn't armed. The shipsuit he wore wouldn't have concealed a _knife_ , let alone anything bigger. It was torn and very dirty. She scanned him and it came up negative for any toxins or explosives. He wasn't anyone Sara knew. His features were Middle Eastern, but not recognizable. He couldn't have been more than five years old.

"A child? What?" Nalania demanded. He looked up and froze on seeing the Ko-Dan.

"Ah! A Djinn!" He begged. "Please don't eat me!"

" _Eat_ you?" Sara inquired. "You would taste terrible." She and Nalania were taken off guard when the child bolted to her and hugged her legs tight.

"Please don't hurt me, please don't hurt me!" The boy was babbling in a language Sara did not know, but her translator did. Nalania reached for him, but Sara shook her head. He was terrified.

"He is scared, Nalania. He has to be one of the kids. But why hide?" She asked the boy. "I am not going to hurt you. Why were you hiding and for how long?"

"Hide and seek game, but they leave and not come back." The boy pleaded. "Didn't mean to be bad."

"Neither do I, boy." Sara said with sigh. "And you know what?" She hefted him into her arms and he stared at her. "I am not _going_ to _be_ bad."

"You are her." The boy inhaled and shook his head. "The Empress. I… No…"

"Come on, boy." Sara sighed as she marched to face her future with a crying little boy in her arms. "Let's find your family. I bet you have obligations to them. I know I do to mine."

She reached the hatch and it opened for her. She nodded to the stunned guards as they saw what she carried. The room was packed with people. Humans, League races, Ko-Dan, Sara had tried hard to get everyone she counted as close to this meeting and had managed. A fanfare started and she winced. She fought hard to remain impassive as the fanfare continued. At least they hadn't gone with what Alex had suggested. As good as the music was, she was _not_ going to hear John Williams' 'Imperial March' every time she entered a _room_ , dammit! The fanfare reached its end and she stepped forward again. She raised her voice and the room silenced.

"Can anyone claim this one?" She hefted the boy who curled closer to her, his heart beating fast in his distress. "He was hiding and was a bit too good at it for the other kids to find."

"Empress." A pale faced Middle Eastern woman Sara recognized as one of her former Xurians ran forward. Salia was a good accountant and yes, Sara remembered she had two children. An infant boy who was in the nursery and this one had to be the other."Oh Mikel! You bad boy!"

"He is not a bad boy." Sara held out the boy to his mother who took him and hugged him tight. "I have seen bad, known bad. He is not. He is just a child. I took no offense and I will not. He is a good kid and good at hiding."

"Thank you, Empress." The woman bowed deeply.

"Tonight is _not_ about _me_." Sara said firmly and her voice carried. "It is about all of us. I may lead you, but that does not make me perfect. Far from it. We have been in dark places. We have done dark things. But _we_ are _not_ dark." She looked at the ceiling, at the myriad aspects of light that swept through the ocean to reach the submerged ship.

"We face an uncertain future. All we have known for so long is unending war. That war may be over, but eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. Space is vast and we have seen only fractions of it." Sara said as she looked around, Alex, Maggie and Oprisa stood slightly apart The Ko-Dan also had formed their own cluster. Everyone else had milled around waiting for her. "The only absolute truth that we know is that things _will_ change. _I_ am trapped on Earth, but most of you are not. You know the truth of the universe, that we are not alone in it. You have your future ahead of you. This boy, Mikel will likely do things that I cannot imagine. All I can do and will do is make sure that he is safe to grown up to do those things. You are my people and I am your Empress. Now and always." She bowed her head and there was utter silence.

Mikel patted his mother's arm. She set him on the floor where he knelt. His eyes were far too old to be on five year old as he nodded to Sara. Every single one of her people knelt. Then _Profiri_ did. _Maggie_ did. _Alex_ did, _Oprisa_ did. Suddenly the only one standing in the hall besides Sara was Nalania who looked a bit sheepish, but shook her head. She could only kneel to her Emperor. Then _Sara_ bent to one knee and the silence could have been cut with a knife.

"The obligations of family cut deep." Sara said into the sudden silence. "I cannot say I will always be nice or polite or even gentle, but one thing is sure. Now and _forever_..."

"YOU ARE _**ALL**_ _**MY**_ FAMILY!"

The roar that answered her should have burst the ship asunder.

* * *

 **This was both easy and very hard to write. The Last Starfighter was a very good movie for 1984. Today, we look back and see its graphics as dated, its story as cliche and its alien costumes as laughable. Does it matter? It is a good story. If you have not seen the movie, do so. Get it, stream it, borrow it, whatever. (Preferably not pirate it because that actually DOES hurt people like me who try to sell stuff in real life but I am not going to judge.) It is an old movie, but I believe it is a good movie to this day.**

 **I had this idea way back in 1987. Alex fought, rebuilt the Legion and Maggie found a place at his side, not as a simple wife, but as an _equal_. Then I realized... Alex and Maggie are both American teenagers who are in love. They are suddenly out of supervision and have lots of free time! _What_ are they GOING to DO? (*Smirk* What do you THINK?) Sara was the result. It exploded from there. Yes, I have been writing this story or one like it since 1987!**

 **There is nothing in The Last Starfighter about psis. Only a reference to a Rylan spy captured by Xur and executed on live holo to try and scare Starfighter Command. But the Star League HAD to have some kind of intelligence service for said spy to work for and that service HAD to be good at their jobs or Xur would have rolled right over them even without the Ko-Dan. Insurgencies are hard to fight even when they are not fanatics.**

 **There is next to nothing in The Last Starfighter about the Ko-Dan or their culture. They were just 'the enemy'. The novelization by Alan Dean Foster had a lot more, but it is sadly out of print. It is available on Amazon as a used book but the copies are degrading since they were paperback. Profiri and her priesthood came out of a brainstorm that the Ko-Dan almost _certainly_ didn't like Xur any more than the League did. Maybe _less_.**

 **So, we have the Last Starfighter fighting as he always has and always will. To defend the Frontier! Even if Xur and the Ko-Dan armada are no longer threats, there will be others. There always are.**

 **But Alex Rogan is not alone now.**

 **Greetings, Starfighter.**


End file.
